IX: The Forgotten Crystal
by Skitter Stories
Summary: In a certain mutiny, Ben Solo was inflicted with Amnesia, causing him to forget who he was in his past. Finding for answers and events from his past, he is hunted both by the First Order and the Resistance, each with their own purpose. Meanwhile, Rey continues her way in becoming a Jedi Knight, not knowing her biggest enemy recently had his memory erased. (My take on Episode IX)
1. Chapter 1

**I know this is getting out of hand, but in terms of my 2 month hiatus, I realized I need to write something. Well Star Wars happened and I was thankful for that. I may not be the full fan of Star Wars but damn, I can't do anything but write it, sadly this idea pops in my head and I really can't wait for Episode 9 to be released. I've read some few Star Wars fanfiction and I have to admit, it is very big. Enjoy the prologue.**

 **STAR WARS**

 **EPISODE IX:**

 **THE BLACK DIAMOND**

 **LUKE SKYWALKER IS DEAD. ALL THAT IS LEFT FOR THE RESISTANCE TO EXIST THROUGH THE GALAXY**

 **HAVING THE JEDI ON THEIR SIDE. LEADING THE SURVIVORS OF THE BATTLE OF CRAIT, GENERAL LEIA ORGANA IS DETERMINED TO TRACK DOWN SOME OF HER MISSING SUPPORTERS, AS THEY WERE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE GALAXY, WITH HOPE TO BRING DOWN THE FIRST ORDER.**

 **EARNING HER RIGHT OF BECOMING THE LAST JEDI, REY CONTINUES HER TRAINING WITH THE HELP OF THE GENERAL ORGANA, HELPING HER TO SHAPE THE WAY HER BROTHER WAS BY SENDING HER TO BUILD HER OWN LIGHTSABER, FINDING FOR THE RIGHT BALANCE AND WILL TO MAKE A WAY FOR HER TO BECOME A POWERFUL JEDI. BUT SOMETHING ON HER MIND DISTURBS HER.**

 **MEANWHILE THE FIRST ORDER ARRIVES AT TATOOINE, IN SEARCH OF A SPECIFIC BOUNTY HUNTER. IN HOPES OF FINDING AND LURING DOWN THE LAST JEDI TO THEIR GRASPS AND THE NEWLY PROCLAIMED SUPREME LEADER, KYLO REN IS DETERMINED TO DO SO. SOMETHING ON THE INSIDE STARTED A MUTINY BENEATH ITS ORDER…**

TATOOINE

The sight of the system illuminates through the darkness of the galaxy, as a smaller ships coming from the Imperial Star Destroyer approaches its own atmosphere. Heading straight towards the bottom reveals the birthplace of Anakin Skywalker or most well known as Darth Vader and his son Luke Skywalker.

Through the windows of the Imperial ship, a man in black, with a raven hair walked towards an aisle out looking the landing ports of the ships. Looking at the dozen of Stormtroopers approaching the pods and assembling themselves, he gave them a glare as he walked through his own ship.

"Sir?"

Kylo Ren turned around to see an officer, who bowed in reverence before citing the reason why he was here. His lips trembled from nervousness and fright, fearing that the Supreme Leader will do something, to endanger his own life. "We contacted most of the Bounty Hunters, on the Tatooine District, but sadly we cannot find the one that you are looking for."

"Keep looking, and see what you can find." Ren answered back, with the strict and coldness in his voice, but regaining his own temper from striking this man's life. "You know what Bounty hunter you are looking?"

The man gulped in fright and stammered for a few moments, we wiped his forehead sweat then looked at the floor. He nodded, as he opens his mouth to answer. "Last I heard of him, he was killed. Tossed in the Sarlac Pit, by your father."

The red lightsaber comes to life, as Ren swing his saber towards the man's face. But intentionally missing it for warning swing. The lightsaber flew across the man's hair as he closed his eyes in his demise, but it went through like nothing. The frightened man, carefully opened his eyes as Kylo Ren stared at him, with much anger that he never saw in his life.

Fueled by his anger, Kylo Ren stepped forward, giving the idea to deal with this man in words but not in action. "Never mention that man, in my sight and out of your sight, understand?" He clenched his fist itching himself to strike that man until he begs for mercy, but restrained it. "Now, I am aware that he was killed by..."

 _Leave with me and come home._

 _We missed you_

 _Shut up!_ He scolded himself, internally punching his head. He wanted to scream, to pull his hair away until his face damages. The name Han Solo, pierced his mind even in his sleep. _No, by my power I can resist it._ Numbers of sleepless nights, still continued as the he was haunted by his father, and now, his uncle.

 _Strike me down and forever I will be with you like your father._

 _See you around, kid._

 _Stop it!_ He gritted his teeth, as memories of his family began to flow in his mind. All he ever wanted was to march in his room and grab his grandfather's helmet and smash it through his face.

"Sir?" The man asked, snapping Ren out from his thoughts. _This is what you want, Rey. I am a monster, and I will be._ He turned to the man with a glaring eye, looking as the Stormtroopers are ready to deploy at the Tatooine system.

"I am fully aware that, Bobba Fett was killed by a smuggler and my officials stated that they spotted him, staying here in Tatooine, rebuilding the hunter's guild after the demise of Jabba the Hutt. Now if there would be a good place to find, that would be Jabba's palace." Ren then turned to head towards the control room to oversee what's going on.

"But sir, that palace was abandoned for 30 years. It is not possible for any bounty hunters to dwell in that place or anything that resembles to Bobba fett." The man added, with doubt and question towards their leader. In response, Kylo ren turned around, raising his hand.

Without the power of the Force, this man is nothing. Helpless, as he levitates towards the open hand of Kylo Ren, his Supreme Leader, he felt his grasp towards his neck. He choked out some air, struggling to inhale and exhale any oxygen. He hesitated to look at his eyes, but glaring back at his own was evil eyes that were staring at his own soul. "If there is something you dare not to do, it is to stop questioning my authority over you. Now find that bounty hunter and tell his location, one more word and I will strike you down."

"Yes… Supreme Leader." The man gasped out, words coming from his own mouth with lack of oxygen. Ren released his grip and letting the man fall to the ground. The man struggled to stand up as he gasped for air and choked up some. He scrambled to his feet and walked away as Ren glared at him until he is out of his sight.

Ren turned towards the control room, a few meters away from where he was right now. Walking towards it, he found himself on the corridor, alone and with no people. Since most of his men and officers were destroyed in the Star fleet as the Resistance ship pummels towards them through light speed.

The corridor was dark, dark like his past. Kylo Ren walked through it, ignoring that everything else in this room reminds him of everything that he had done in his past years. _Is this what you felt Grandfather? Haunted by the memories by people you've killed and hurt?_

Silence was the only answer to his longing questions. _You are silent. When in time of my need you are silent and I cannot feel your presence. Except that Scavenger girl, or I she a Jedi now?_ Ren stopped in his tracks as he remembered what his uncle said to him. If that girl would be a Jedi, then the tide will turn to the Resistance, all that was left was him be executed and be killed. _If I may be killed, what would you do?_

He is not afraid of anything, not even a slightest bit. He knew his grandfather was afraid of his son, his uncle and his former master. He was afraid that his son will kill him. Does Kylo Ren, once a leader of the Knights of Ren and now turned Supreme Leader, afraid? _I'm afraid grandfather. Are you proud of me for saying that?_

"You let this dark power control and consumed you, your grandfather didn't know that."

Ren turned around to the voice around the corridor, looking for the voice that he heard earlier. He saw nothing, just dark hall leading to someplace else. Grunting in frustration, he can tell Hux is pulling his leg again after knowing his inner conflict. Realizing that no one was around, he slowly walked towards the control room.

"I knew your grandfather, just as stubborn and rebellious like me. Sadly, I was forced to turn on him."

He heard it again, freezing him from his tracks and stopping his feet from taking another step. His hand was shaking, he didn't know that voice, but he knew, probably who it was. Turning around, he saw no one, only the hall, dark hall. "Who are you?"

The voice echoed through the hall, specifying that he was all alone in a large Starfleet. He closed his eyes, waiting for the voice again to answer once again, to identify his himself to him. Turning away again, he returned to his current pace. Reaching the control room, he sighed angrily and looked every officials in the eyes. "Report."

"The Millennium Falcon was spotted heading towards Takodona, sir." An officer, dressed in his uniform approached him. "Our scanners confirmed that they were accompanied by an X-wing fighter. Scanner also confirmed that there were 3 passengers at the Falcon."

 _Rey._

 _FN-2187, that traitor._

 _Chewbacca, his father's best friend._

"Send a squad directly to the system, make sure they spot them and let us know. We can destroy the planet with them inside it." _Hux,_ Ren muttered in annoyance as his general came into the room overhearing the conversation. "Also destroy that X-Wing pilot if you must."

"That course of action is foolish to execute General Hux, if I can say, continue for the search of that bounty hunter. Then let us deal with these Rebels when I find him." General Hux's eyes widened as Ren revealed his plan, he turned to him and faced him.

In anger he stepped forward and gave him a glare. "You are following a what? Rumors? That's foolish even you know it. If we can take them away, it could lessen our problems away, that Jedi girl will be wiped away from the galaxy, and what you are doing here?"

Ren stared at him, shutting his mouth shut. He was right, he should be leading them to victory. Instead he was here just barking order. Hux raised his eyebrows then a wicked smile escapes his lips. "You are afraid."

Without his mask, Kylo Ren had difficulty in hiding his emotions away from his workers and soldiers. He was vulnerable and weak. He stiffened as he tried to resist the anger, the guilt and the shame that struck through his veins like a bow caster. Gritting his teeth he faced Hux with cold words. "Afraid of what? If you are at my mercy then you should be the one who is afraid."

"For crying out loud, Ren. You don't get it do you? Using the First Order to hide yourself from your precious mother and that scavenger girl because they remind you of your weakness, and your failure." Hux sneered, causing Ren to snap up and gave him the hardest push that he ever received.

Kylo Ren stared him down at the floor. _You should be the one that will run and hide from mercy._ People around the control room gaped and stared as the deed took action in front of them. Hux staggers to the ground, his breathing was heavy resulting from the fear and the fright towards his Supreme Leader. Ren stepped forward and Hux dragged himself backwards, away from him using his arms in the floor.

"Remember this Hux, you are always a failure to me. Blowing up and failing the Star Killer base does make sense to your foolishness." Kylo Ren sneered, still staring Hux down with such anger and ferocity towards the other man. Hux's lips trembled in shame and in frustration as he pushed himself up from the floor, glared at him like he was the bigger guy, then Ren continued to sneer. "Never to intend yourself in my place, General. Under my command you follow, if you don't. I can think of hundreds of ways to destroy you slowly."

"Fine!" Hux shouted, alerting the whole people inside the room. All of their eyes are glued at the two, and Kylo Ren glared back making them to remove their focus on the duo and continued working. Ren left the room with dark aura following him on every step, Hux watched go in silence while flexing his right arm.

"Are you alright, General?" One of the officers approached him, and asked. Hux sighed in response but remained in silence, making the female officer to remain standing in his front, waiting for him to speak and give orders what to do next.

"Alert Kylo Ren that that an unknown ship entered the Takodona system, and it might be the bounty hunter Boba Fett's ship." He lied, knowing that lying can lead him anywhere rather than the truth. The female officer looked at him in confusion and in doubt.

"But sir, nothing on our scanners spotted a ship that belongs to the bounty hunter himself." The female officer replied while her eyes were on the floor, not wanting to meet the General's eyes.

General Hux placed his hand on his chin, then replied with time after thinking and planning. _Ren is going down, and I will be the one that will take his place, or die trying._ He turned to his crew, knowing that his crew will support him when matter turned worse. "Then just do it, he isn't the type of leader who asks more questions. Do not tell him anything and make sure he leaves in this Fleet, understood?"

"Yes sir. What are you planning? You already knew that Boba Fett wasn't on that Planet either."

"I know that and listen." He leans towards the officer's ears, whispering towards the woman's making sure that nobody will hear, him. Including Kylo Ren. "Just to keep him out of this Fleet, if he does I will send few TIE fighters on the way."

"That's it?"

"There's more than that. But I assumed that you know where this is getting to?" Hux questioned and the woman nodded. _She's like Phasma, responsive and always listens to me, not that abusing snake._ "Then by my orders will you follow?"

The woman nodded again, with no hesitation in her mind and mouth. "I know a TIE pilot who is fitting for this 'secret' thing of yours." Hux smiled, _wait until this plan is full swing._ __He turned towards the monitors, gesturing her to leave.

"Bring him to me, and we'll discuss it."


	2. Chapter 2

"Are we really doing this?"

Rey looked at her black skinned friend and companion, eyeing on the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon, as lights flowed through his eyes, while rotating the system of Takodona. Rey smiled childishly, while pushing some few buttons on the cockpit. "Chewie, drop us out of the Light speed."

Chewie moans in response, standing up and pushing some buttons around the room. Finn sat on the co-pilot seat, mumbling on the way. "Why the heck are we here again?"

Rey switched her gaze to Finn, but still had her attention towards the cockpit of the Falcon. Clouds emerges through the windows, signifying that they are slowly entering the system. Then she pushed down the Falcon down through the atmosphere, showing the green fields of the planet. She smiled, remembering the first time she went here and went looking for Maz's castle.

Finn realized that she didn't respond, he sighed but with no sound escaped his lips. _Rey was once captured by that monster here. I killed my former brothers._ He shook his head, removing the distracting thought that entered his mind and his imagination. "What are we doing here?"

"Oh?" Rey stiffened in a moment or two, wiping her head from the beads of sweat falling and landing through her neck. She retained her three bun hair after her encounter with Kylo Ren, or her short ally fight with the dark side against Snoke. "General Leia said that Maz is my only hope in dealing with creating a lightsaber, my last one got split into half."

"You can thank your boyfriend for that." Finn joked, trying not to look on Rey's surprised face on his choice of words. A snicker escapes his lips, doing his best not to laugh loudly or else he will face the wrath of Rey.

The Jedi's face turned red in his friend's words. She turned to him, looking at him trying not to laugh but failing to do so. She teasingly slapped him on his shoulder, sticking her tongue out in return. Finns eyes smoldered while groaning in pain on his shoulders.

"He is not my boyfriend, he did kicked your butt and slashed you in the back last time we fought him, remember?" She spoke, trying to hurt Finn's pride in teasing. "I mean, you are still angry he ruined the jacket that pilot, Poe, gave to you, isn't that sweet, right Finn?"

Finn sighed, looking at the fabric of his jacket that Poe gave him. Poe and the General always said that this jacket suits him, even though it belongs to Poe, whom he thought was dead, and taking the jacket away. In return he made another deep thinking.

 _What and where I would be if I didn't wear his jacket back in Jakku? Will I be killed in a Stormtrooper armor or not?_

Finn's silence and quietness made Rey to decide to tease his friend even further. "I see you look on that Rose girl. I mean she's pretty, for a mechanic. Like, I heard from Poe you carried her from the battlefield to safety. Big balls from someone who once tried to run."

Finn raised his eyebrows from Rey's burn, and decided to insult her back from her own insults. "Yeah, like where you've been in the battlefield?" His expression turned into a grin in his face as he tapped her shoulder blades. "I think I know where."

The Falcon completely landed on the floor, as Rey began her shutting down process to complete, shutting down the Falcon's engine. Few sparks flew from the back, as well as few smoke lining. She stood up, heading towards where her gear and Finn was, tossing a small side bag to Finn.

Finn catches it mid-air, then grab a communicator for someone orbiting the Planet system. "Poe?"

"Hey buddy." Rey heard Poe's slightly distorted voice, through the signal disruption from the planet system. "I might spotted some few floating junk droids around here but no sign of First Order coming from the system."

"Thanks, Poe." Rey replied, taking the communicator away from Finn's hands, using the force. Finn stepped back, with his mouth gaped at her. "Signal and tell us if you see something weird or something unusual in your eyes."

"Yes Commander Rey." Rey flinched at the 'commander' name thing, which Leia gave the rank to her after the Battle of Crait, and learned that Master Luke had the same rank as her in the Rebellion.

She placed the communicator near to her mouth. "Name formalities, huh? Rey is just fine, Poe."

"Yeah, well if you can call me commander, we can call it even." Rey smiled to herself, while Finn gave her a toothy grin while stuffing a blaster in his pocket. "Well, see you in three hours and keep BB-8 from misbehaving."

"He wouldn't, can I talk to Captain Finn?" Rey tossed the communicator to Finn's direction, who catches in return. She walked through her gear, leaving the two friends talk in peace. The broken lightsaber of Anakin Skywalker, still lying on one of the compartments. She couldn't help but look at it.

It was her first special weapon other than her knowledge about the staff. She remembered that it was Luke's father and was once wielded by Kylo Ren, when he was Luke's padawan. She felt herself as she grabbed the broken piece of the lightsaber, feeling its metal handle across its thumb.

 _I'll never use it again._ She thought to herself, seeing the kyber crystal erupted into pieces from this broken lightsaber alone. That's the reason why she is here, so that Maz can help her build her own lightsaber, help the Resistance to bring order to the galaxy, once and for all.

"You broke it."

A voice. Coming from behind, she readied herself for this. She closed her eyes, and clenched her fist because she knows one person to speak to her through force. Ben Solo.

"I would not talk to you right now." She snapped, still not looking back.

No response. Only wind blowing from the Takodona's atmosphere. "I told you, I am not interested in your lies, Kylo Ren." She growled turning in her back, but saw no one but some parts of the Millennium Falcon, with Finn's voice still all over Poe's.

She turned back to the broken lightsaber, and placed it back to one of the compartments, placing it with the books she took from Luke's island. Closing it, she sighed in Luke's memory, as well as Han.

"Why hide the weapon? It would remind you of your failures?"

That voice again, but Rey knows she haven't heard that voice speaking to her before. It was young. A little older than her, but that voice came from a young man and it cannot be Ben's.

"You didn't know what happened to that lightsaber from the last time I wielded it?"

 _Wielded it?_ Rey's thoughts emulates her voice. Her heartbeat went faster, like a horse in a race. She knew it was Luke's father but doesn't know what he looks like or what he was. All she knew that he and Darth Vader are one.

"You think too much about me." The voice continued again, but Rey listened and freed her mind from questions. "Your still naïve to be a Jedi knight, with lack of training from my son."

She snapped up and paled, as if she saw a living ghost. Not just a living ghost.

A force ghost.

A man with brown hair, with Jedi's robes around his body as he stood with her facing on his back, eyeing at the exit outside the Millennium Falcon. Rey's arms shaken as she drops her staff and her bag in fright. The young man turned around showing his face in full details.

Even with blue silhouette scattered around his body, she can see clearly his face with such recognition and acknowledgement coming from the owner of the weapon she was once wielding. The man smiled, making Rey to grit her teeth with fright, but not planning in taking down a force ghost.

"You may not know me but I can say you recognize me?' The force ghost asked, with his smile still placed on his lips, Rey noticed the scar on his right eye, lining it perfectly on his face.

"You looked like Master Luke.' The first words she spoke after the shortcoming shock. But she wasn't proud of it.

The ghost laughed but it's more like a snicker, which made Rey to be shocked again from this man's unusual personality, but stopped as the force ghost came forward, until they were few inches apart. "I anointed my lightsaber to you, and you did what you can do."

Rey smiled but in a small, and embarrassed way. The force ghost placed his hand on her shoulder with an assuring smile, to tell her _it's all right._ "Always remember, that I am here whenever you need me."

He turned away from her to leave, but Rey beats him to it. "Who are you?"

The ghost turned his head facing her, and gave her one last smile at her direction but a saddening look through his eyes and soul. Rey can tell it. It was the same eyes she saw from Ben Solo, conflicted and hungry for someone to care for them. Afraid of losing someone important to them.

"It wouldn't matter to you if I said my name?" He remained looking at her, before continuing. "I'm the son of Shimi Skywalker, from Tatooine. Call me Anakin. Anakin Skywalker."

"Darth Vader?" Rey asked without asking herself why she do that.

Anakin's face grew dark as Rey mentioned the name, which made her grew guilty in her stomach. _By the Force, why did I ever said those words?_ Anakin remained the darkness in his face but still remained silent and patient. "No need to say that name to me, I failed so much in that name and I don't deserved to be addressed as a SIth Lord."

"Sorry." Rey chokes back a sob after herself conscious beats her like a lightsaber. She often quick to action rather than thinking at first, this resulted to meant action that led her in many mistakes. She sat down, trying to regain her composure, as Anakin breaks the distance again, kneeling in front of her looking her straight directly into her eyes.

She wanted to run away from here, from her mind and from herself. Anakin tilted her head with his fingers up by her chin, raising it up a little higher. "A Jedi learns from his mistakes not hide it. It would be rather perfect if the two bloods of Skywalker to train you."

"Train me?" Rey repeats.

"My son did train you, but not completely. You earn me, and I will be with you anytime you need, even in training the Jedi way." He replied, still on his knees, facing her. Rey doesn't know what to do, she was offered by the man behind the mask of a Sith Lord. "I know what you are thinking."

Rey snapped and was caught red-handed, looked like a thief got caught from the act.

"You thought of a man behind the mask of Vader to train you and be like my grandson?" He asked with hints of laughter in his voice, poking fun at her thoughts. _Luke was already bad at humor, well this guy is ten times worse._ She thought to herself as Anakin spoke again. "So you thinking I am bad at humor?"

"You really are father."

Rey turns to see another young man, whom she remembered the voice perfectly but in an older state. She saw young blonde man, watching her and Anakin. She felt herself fainting towards the floor as Anakin looked at her from the top before closing her eyes.

"REY!"

She snapped open again, expecting to be a legions of force ghosts, but was surprised Finn was standing in front of her with Chewie on his back. "I called you for ten minutes and you slept like no tomorrow, what happened?"

"I was cleaning and packing up, then I slept." She lied, to make it believable, she wouldn't tell Finn she met Darth Vader without a mask and his younger self and a glimpse of young Master Luke. _This day is getting weirder than I thought._

She left the Falcon with the memory stuck in her mind and in her head, for some time.

 **And I'll break it here. Reviews are the key factors that makes me alive and can think properly in terms of writing. Okay I've been thinking of Anakin being with Rey and Obi-Wan with Ben sound much more fitting in terms of story. Because you know, conflict of interest. Any comments and questions you can ask me in the reviews section.**

 **Thanks for the reviews by the way, I need it.**


	3. Chapter 3

Tracking down the bounty hunter wasn't a problem, especially if it was the most kick-ass one. Out looking the planet system, Ren stared at the planet's silhouette as the orange colored planet illuminated through the dark space. His fleet already orbited this planet a numerous times, and still cannot find a specific bounty hunter.

He placed his hand on his scar, running his face. He drew his hand and placed it in his head and saw his own reflection behind the ship's glass, even with the planet's view is visible entirely. He looked through it like it his own mirror, stepping forward to get a better view.

He sense something, something like someone was watching him behind the glass apparatus. Watching himself in the eye, he saw those were the same eyes of someone. Someone whom he failed and pushed away.

Frowning in this memory, he closed his eyes and feels. _Feel through your fear, it will only make you stronger._ He grasp his hand and clenched it, painful memories and pasts awaits him. Something that crawls in his head and tries to dig painfully in the skull of his head. Clenching his fists tighter, looking at his own reflection, he saw the eyes of his own, with the look of someone.

 _Han Solo_

Anger, consumed him, screaming in frustration as he punched the wall glass twice, thrice until he felt the numb in his fist. Growling in much anger, he punched again, and again with much brute force this time. Until a crack formed in the glass wall, and he felt some glass shards sticks though his fist.

He staggers back, looking at his right hand, bleeding with so much power he used through it. He slowly removed some small glass shards away from his fist that impaled through his skin painfully, as blood drips through the dark floor. His breathing subsided and grew heavy, pulling some small shards away, with a short whimper in his lips, in snapping pain.

 _Let the pain help you, it will mark your failure and motivate you to be better._

Snoke's voice still transverse in his head, still can hear his voice in his ear, closer through his face. _I deserve all of this._ His eyes welled up, still looking on the glass wall, with cracks smeared on the glass like spider webs. _I deserve all of this._

He wanted keep punching the wall, until the brevity in space suck him away to kill him, but he realizes he has no guts to kill himself, but has balls to murder other people in return, like his own father. He has love and compassion, those two weakens him and it was impossible to remove it away.

 _Grandfather?_

It's not a command but a plea in his voice, with such sadness and brokenness through his veins and blood. The only person he thinks can comfort him in his times of temptation of the light side, which he swore He will be forever in the dark. _I don't know where you are, or what you are._

He kneels down in shame and in sorrow, still his eyes on the glass wall showing him the planet system in the Tatooine planet, the birthplace of his Grandfather, whom he idolizes so much. _Help me, you lead the Empire in shaping it using the Death Star, yet I am here. The title doesn't fit through me but I cannot change it back._

Silence was the only answer he got. Closing his eyes, and placed his hand on the glass, with such humiliation and defeat he ever felt that consumed and destroying him. Snoke was right, he was just a child in a mask. _Let me have solace in you, grandfather. Let me control the dark side like you do._

 _Help me._

Help was all he need, not even his father or his mother understands him. Not even his uncle, who tried to murder him on his sleep, and shaped him into what he was and who he was right now. _I want to make it right. I want to make all things right in your sight and for your sake._

Wiping his tears away, while clutching both of his hands in his head while he sat down on the floor, leaning in the glass wall, trying to overcome his sadness and be a monster he always was. But he fell down like a child who needed someone to sit beside him, like an animal in captivity and insolation. All he ever cared for was dead, and there's no one alive right now sitting beside him.

His mother, he saw his comrades killing his own mother. He didn't want to press that button on that moment to send blaster flying, hitting her mother straight away. Kylo Ren would not want to feel the guilt and the pain he sought when he killed his father, and killing his mother would be worse. _Help me, grandfather._ Then thought for a long time before his mind to speak again.

 _Father?_

He wasn't proud of it, calling his father after all things and the murder he did on him the last time he met his own father. He felt ashamed of asking his father a favor after killing him in a cold blood. _I'm troubled, I am being haunted by my uncle and my mother._

Another wave of silence filled the air and it was haunting enough for him to feel the chills through his bone. Han Solo always loved to scare him when he was younger and now he felt his presence through the air. Whispers of words can be heard, coming straight to his ear. _I am here._

Kylo Ren's eyes snapped open at those words. _It can't be._ His father was here.

Han Solo was here.

Not physically, he knows it but more of his spiritual sense. Ren knew that his father wasn't a Jedi, but he heard of the spirits and ghosts through his journey and travels of other planets. He often brushed them off as a myth and legends. Sadly, legends and stories were true. Sensing his father's presence again, his mind does the talking. _I'm… I'm sorry, for everything._

He was crying again, closing his eyes shut letting the tears flow in his eyes. The silence sends chills through his skin and through his bones, as he felt through his father's hands placing them in his cheek. He senses it, but his father is out of his sight. _I know you are, my son._

 _I don't want to lose you again, father._ His mind formulated the words, his heart clenched into pieces.

Another silence and for Ren it was deafening for him. His father just visited him or just to haunt him in his previous mistakes and faults. The ghostly encounter brought him another thing to fear, _what if father is just as angry as I am?_

 _Ben you know I am not._

The name struck him like a lightning in his veins. The voice in the air belongs to the man he never expected to hear even after he killed him. _I don't deserve your forgiveness._

 _Even, I don't deserve you. And your mother._

Kylo Ren soaked his clothes in his tears, wiping them away from his eyes. He found himself smiling. It was a small smile but big enough for his father to see or felt. _You were right father. You were right about me._

 _When did I was right about you? I was clueless of raising you when your mother was away._ He can literally hear Han's voice from the distance, it was confusing. He can hear his gruff laughter and can see his smug smile through the air. Hearing his laughter, made Ren to smile wider in comfort and in solace in his father.

 _You were right about me, there's too much Vader in me._ He thought mindfully and carefully not to offend his dead father. He sighed while resting his head in the glass wall, still on the sitting position. _I always wanted him, to be like him. I killed you both for that._

 _Both?_ Came Han's reply. _Kid, I didn't remember you killed Leia._

 _No I didn't but she died, and it's my fault._ Ren's eyes welled up again after remembering his mother being tossed away into deep space after the TIE fighter blaster hit. Now she remains in his memories as well as his uncle.

 _Kid, if Leia is dead, then she would be here beside me._ Ren still can hear Han's gruff voice in silence and in stillness.

 _So she was alive?_ He asked the ghostly presence with hope that he neglected years ago. He couldn't help but to worry but to smile when his father's voice enters his ears once again.

 _Yes, for the whole she was. Need to remind you, that your mother was fighter. She wouldn't let anyone to defeat her easily._ Ren stopped smiling and looked through the air, with such sadness and pain through his mind and in heart. _I made a promise to your mother to bring you home. Ben, please return to Leia._

The name again hurts him like a thousand needles pierced through his heart. He shook his head, in retaliation and negative. If he does leave, who will lead the First Order to success? _I can't, father. I cannot leave the First Order. I am the Supreme Leader now._

 _Good to hear._ Han's sarcastic remark hit him like a bus. _But don't let me down, kid. Do anything in your power to bring peace to the galaxy, not to destroy it. Do a peace treatment or something to please your mother._

 _I can't._ He choked his own saliva.

 _Then, find something to do rather than barking orders. If you pissed your mother one more time, I will and I am a man to my word. I will haunt you every night._

 _Yes, father._ He felt his father pressed a kiss on his forehead before leaving into the darkness once again. Ren felt that Han left him again, and it was painful. Felling like a child left to his own will to live. He had to admit, he needed someone to help him.

Noticing the pain on his hand, he quietly removes every glass shards out of his hand, until they were a bloody mess throughout his hand. But with slight fire burning in his heart and mind with such solace and welcoming state. _Thank you, father._

Without a word, he stood up, wiping his last tears away and walked towards the door that leads through his throne room. It was formerly belongs to Snoke after Ren killed him after realizing something that leads him to kill him.

Until now he wasn't sure why he killed Snoke. For power, or for Rey's safety or for both.

He still remembered Rey's eyes in despair after he told her to let the past die and kill it. Even in the Battle of Crait, when he saw her for the last time as allies, she closed the Falcon on his face. Clearly saying that she would kill him if she had to.

"Sir?" A certain Stormtrooper arrived at his front and grabbed his attention. Ren stood his ground and professionally approached the trooper, whose face he cannot see through the helmet. Ren knows it's better to communicate the Stormtrooper face to face.

Ren stepped forward, until he was inches in front the Stormtrooper's face. "Take that mask off, TL-6456."

"Uhm, sir. General Hux said-"

"It doesn't matter to General Hux and his ginger hair. I am your Supreme Leader and what I say you follow, understood?" Ren spoke warningly towards the certain Trooper, who nodded in confusion and in distrust. The Storm trooper removed its helmet and revealing a blonde haired girl, with green eyes. The trooper looked down through the floor and watching the sole of her armor.

'I don't deserve, being watched Supreme Leader." She spoke with such fear, afraid that Ren will do something to her. But Kylo Ren stepped forward past her, while his hands on his back crossing it. He remained staring at the throne, as the Trooper watched him.

"I know, and what you are here for?"

"Oh." The trooper nodded, while standing straight in her stance. "General Hux wanted you to follow those members of the Resistance and find what they are looking for. Also, we spotted on the scanners that a ship that we found resembles to the bounty hunter that you are looking for."

"What does Boba Fett doing in that planet?" Kylo Ren asked with authority as he turned to the helmetless trooper, who was still in standing stance.

TL-6456 remained calm in her stance a she nodded and answered, in response to Ren's question. "We have no idea sir, but the scanners showed that it was really the same ship as that bounty hunter. General Hux wanted you to go there and we will also send TIE Fighters for your protection."

Ren snorted, after hearing those things. He could not decide if he should be flattered or be irritated but the bounty hunter is close to where Rey was. If she can convince Boba Fett to join the resistance, it would be a strong turn of the events towards the Resistance. Plus if he goes there, he discuss the peace plans towards the Resistance. _Just like father wanted. "_ I will prepare, for this. Thank you TL-6456."

He saw as she bows her head before placing the helmet back to her head once again. Ren waved his hand in front, indicating to stop what she was doing. "You don't need that helmet either."

The trooper again removed her helmet, looking at him with such confusion through her eyes and her face. Ren smiled in response as he placed his hand towards the girl's shoulder. "How old are you?"

"I was born 20 years ago, Supreme Leader." The Girl trooper replied quickly trying not to bring the conversation into a darker path. Kylo Ren nodded in response, as he ignited his lightsaber. Fear in the trooper's eyes emerged through her face as she closed her eyes and began to cry.

Ren then turned it off, and placed it on his side as the trooper has her eyes closed with few tears dropped in her cheeks. _That's how it felt to be afraid, and with fear._ He thought closely, watching her opening her eyes, with tears flowed away from it. _She deserves more._

"Congratulations." Kylo Ren started, moving forward towards the distressed Stormtrooper. "I am promoting you, to Captain of the Stormtrooper program. Also, please do not wear that helmet again, you will respected by your comrades."

With his words, the trooper's eyes was shocked and her mouth gaped in disbelief and doubt. She couldn't contain her tears as she smiled with her legs wobbling in excitement. "You are promoting me?"

Kylo Ren gave her a serious smile, looking her directly in the eye. "Captain Phasma's demise from the destroyed Star Fleet cost as more than expected. You will not lead like Phasma but more like General Hux with the Stormtroopers."

"You do?" TL-6456 asked with a smile on her face, in Kylo's words. Ren nodded in response as the trooper saluted with new found respect through the Supreme Leader. "Why are you doing this? I am not a good Stormtrooper. I always ended up in sanitation, like as always."

"I see what's in your mind and your past." Ren replied with serious tone in but calm in way of soothing. It was rare for him to be this calm like he always shout commands and threats through his comrades. "I see your eyes, and they are the eyes of a strong leader. Now go, remove these uniform and I have some men to give you your new uniform. Don't fail me."

"Yes Supreme leader, I will not let you down. Should I tell General Hux that you are leaving?"

"Yes, tell him to ready a fighter, I will be joining the other TIE fighters in a short moment." Ren commanded in his Supreme Leader voice, as the newly promoted Captain nodded and bowed, as she turned her heels and walked away. "Wait."

"Yes, Supreme Leader?"

"What's your name again?"

"TL-6456. That's the name General Hux game me." The newly promoted Captain replied, with a professional stance in her body.

"Well then, forget TL-6456. You will be called, Captain Thale of the Stormtrooper program." Ren replied, with stating her new name, remembering what Rey did to FN-2187 and she changed it to Finn.

The Captain smiled in return, giving him a curt of respect. "Thale, it sound's perfect. Thank you Supreme Leader." Without any words she left the throne room, leaving Kylo Ren to sit down in his own throne and to think of his next course of action.

TAKODONA

"Rey, child sit down." Maz cheerfully greeted the two as her Cantina were in place once again after the attack of the First Order. The castle was still in ruins but the Cantina was up and running perfectly under the rubbles of the ruins. Rey sat down in a seat Maz offered him, Finn did the same thing, sitting beside her.

Finn took a long breath as exhaled it. "Looks even cozier the last time we ever went here."

Rey smiled at his friend's comment, only to miss out something that wasn't here. Han Solo, killed by that monster, Ben Solo. She snapped her way out of her thoughts as she began to formulate her thoughts on how to convince Maz to help her.

The small orange alien arrived with some drinks and steaming food on her arms as she placed them on the duo's table. Finn's face glanced up at the sight of food as he began to take one for himself. Rey grabbed the drink and gulped it into her throat.

"So?" Maz, began. "Why are you here? I've heard of the Resistance, sorry for them."

"I need your help, Maz." Rey immediately spilled her beans and asked for it. Maz's face turned serious, as Rey looked at Finn before speaking. "The lightsaber you gave me, it broke into half."

Maz's eyes widened in surprise and in shock, she removed her eye telescope then shook her head before looking at Rey once again. Rey raised an eyebrow in turn but brushed it away when Maz turned her attention to her. "It was Anakin's"

"I know, Darth Vader?"

"Anakin was killed by Darth Vader, from the orders of Chancellor Palpatine, to protect his wife, Padme." Maz explained, trying to feel the memory in them. "I've met Padme, when she came here with him. Strong willed, beautiful and determined, and Anakin was brash, rebellious but loyal to her. I was saddened by the two, knowing that their relationship, ended in death."

Finn mouth fully chugs a glass of blue milk, some spilled through his pants and his shirt. Rey moved forward as the conversation seems to turn into personal. "He and Vader are one, how can Vader kill him?"

"When he became Vader, he was different like the last time I met him. Angry, short tempered but still remained his rebellious character in his mind. He killed Anakin Skywalker and forever be Darth Vader." Maz continued, taking a glass and a plate away and head towards the kitchen. The music flows through the whole cantina. Rey looks at Finn, who smiled back, but faded when Maz returns to communicate with Rey. "So now I assumed that you need help in building your lightsaber?"

"Yes." Rey asked her pleadingly and with request, as Maz nodded knowingly, muttering something under her breath as she gestured Rey to follow her somewhere. Rey motioned Finn to stay, who agreed in return. "I'll be back, keep on guard for any first Order sympathizers."

"Will do Commander Rey."

Rey smiled at his friend and followed Maz to help her to build her lightsaber and hopefully can bring hope to the galaxy once and for all.

"You need it." Anakin's ghost appeared on her sight, smiling at her. Knowing that she knows what she was doing, even without a master to guide her. "Now go, bring balance to the Force."

"I will, Master Anakin."

 **Thanks for reading. Reviews and comments are welcome here.**


	4. Chapter 4

**My goodness, thanks for the reviews everybody. It literally gives a smile on my face every time I read a review or any comments. Please do continue, it only inspires me to write even more chapters.**

 **One reviewer opened up about the involvement of an OTP, I really don't know how to write romance in stories, I mean literally. But we'll see though, maybe something will happen.**

 **Ps. I changed the title, for the better good.**

"General, everything is just as fine, here." Poe's voice rang out from the communicator speakers, audible from the remaining members of the Resistance. Leia's smile creeps through her face, wrinkling her forehead, looking at the some monitors and screens that facilitates every crew. "Get warm, especially from a planet called Hoth."

She tightened her coat, looking at the snowy cave in her own eyes. It was nearly thirty years ago when the last time she went here, with Han and Luke by his side, with people referring her as a Princess. But now, Han and Luke are no more, and she returned as a General of the Resistance. "Oh, those times."

The Resistance workers scrambled their feet on where their designated area were, some were fixing some X Wing Fighter that dated before the Empire destroyed this base. Hoth was really a hostile, and now she doubted that the First Order will find them now, as this hideout is still unknown to them, except the Empire.

Lieutenant Connix approached her, brushing her blonde hair away ash she bowed in curt then spoke. "The hideout base was still functional, and can provide shelter to every members." Leia nodded and smiled in response, taking her hand and looked at her eyes. "The survival of the Resistance can be assured here."

"I know, Commander Dameron is still on the air, there will be a little time to be ready to set our course of attack towards the First Order." Leia spoke, sighing while lying her back in a chair. Connix nodded before leaving to her own post. She eyed some of the remaining and surviving X-Wing pilots hanging out with each other, in their lounge. "Commander Dameron, tell me anything you see?"

"Nothing, except some junk and space particles, General. Rey and Finn found Maz Kanata and they were alive and well." Poe's voice entered the intercom again, with a hint of confidence strung through. She placed her hands on her face, that man was really a known smug trouble maker. "But I think I can heard signals from your son, should I engage them?"

"Not now, Commander." _Ben. My son._ She lost her thoughts about him, sitting on her lap smiling childishly. _Oh, Ben. Why follow my father? Why follow Snoke?_ She then regained her thoughts after realizing that Poe was still on hold. "Keep you pace around the planet, if anything arrives, keep me updated. We cannot afford to lose Commander Rey again, don't you?"

"Over my dead body, but thanks for the companionship, because staying here few hours orbiting this planet without someone kinda nauseates me." Poe jokes, lightening the mood. In turn, Leia smiled again, feeling the happiness flowed through her emotions. _Nothing is Lost, and everything will be back to normal._

She exhaled some oxygen slowly, after hearing Poe shutting his communicator off, disabling it for his own. She began to walk around and began to look for every detail of the hideout, to make sure everything was still the same after for all these years. Sounds of Tauntauns moaning enters her mind, she turned at the entrance, expecting Han to arrive with the body of Luke on his back.

 _You stocked up... Half witted… Scrumpy loo_ king… nerfherder!

 _Who's scrumpy looking?_

Looking at the same spot, at once called a med bay of the hideout. She could see herself and Han in their younger looking self, arguing about having a goodbye kiss. Arguing about having her feelings addressed for Han.

Seeing her younger self kissing Luke full in the lips, then giving Han a 'take that' stare while Luke placed his hands at the back of his head, trying not to mock and made fun of Han, who shrugged in response before placing a hand on Luke's shoulder. _Take it easy, kid._

That memory slowly began to fade away, leaving Leia in her old self and blaming herself for imagining things that happened nearly thirty years ago. She stepped forward to the medical bed that Luke used to lie down after Han saved him from a winter storm, kneeling down. She felt the old cloth runs through her fingers, literally struck her down memory after memory.

Now, she found herself remembering that smug face that Luke gave her after she insulted Han, bit by bit. She can still remember him wearing in white medical clothes and some bruises and cuts through his face, which they cleaned up.

 _Those times were that memorable, before Luke lost his hand and Han being froze to carbonite._ She thought to herself, sitting down at the bed, still looking at every inch of the room like she was three decades ago, in her younger self. There were computers and some medical stuffs that are no longer working and function able, after years of abandonment or maybe a Snow trooper shot it.

Walking away from her memory lane, she passed by where the X wing fighters were placed and a large space of the landing area is still open even with X wing fighters were literally pressed on each other. She immediately saw Han and Chewie, grabbing some metal wrench trying to fix the Falcon. Few sparks of electricity blasted to Chewie.

She pressed her lips together, doing her best not to be carried off by the memory and that memory alone hurts her. _Oh, Han._

"General?"

She turned, the sight of Han and Chewie and the Falcon disappeared before her eyes, letting go of that memory again. She was a princess, heir ruler of Alderaan even it got swept by the Death Star. Cold breeze of snowy air flowed and passed to her cheek, feeling its breeze as Leia turned to an officer. "What is it corporal? Carry on."

"Someone near the system is trying to communicate with you, General." The Corporal spoke, maintaining his serious pose. He was one of the remaining members of the Resistance, as well as the only surviving Corporal. "Shall I pass it through, he identified himself and claimed that he knows you."

Leia's eyes twitched, looking at her Corporal in seriousness. She gazed at the main entrance of the hidden base as other members of the Resistance arrived riding with dozens of Tauntauns. "Who is it?"

"Lando Calrissian, General Organa." The Corporal replied, still looking at the communicator on his hands. Leia smiled wider, knowing something. Her husband's old friend and one of the key factors of defeating the Empire. He will be a big help again, in this cause of war.

"Put him through." She replied, as the Corporal gave her the communicator, then turned his back then returned to his own business and job. Leia found herself to laugh learning that her long lost friend was now in contact with her. "Look who decided to show up after nearly got wiped out by the First Order."

She heard Lando's old fashioned laugh through the speakers. "Hey there your highness, leading another band of rebels I see."

"General." Leia warned with her voice cold. "I am no longer a princess."

Lando gave an expressive sigh through the speakers, Leia turned quiet knowing that Lando deserves to know something. "Han is dead."

"I know." Lando replied, with regret and hint of sadness through his voice. "Killed by that bastard, Kylo Ren. While trying to destroy Starkiller, I know Han wouldn't allow himself to be killed but did it anyway."

General Leia wiped her tears away, she placed the communicator near her mouth, but with painful memories. "It was all my fault. I led him to his death." She knows it was all true, she asked him to bring his son home but his own son killed him. "Luke was also gone, now I am all alone leading the Resistance without Han and Luke by my side."

A short pause came from Lando's communicator, giving him silence to think through as herself. She backed away from other people then walked silently towards the snowy hallways of the base. "If you are still interested, you can join the Resistance, at least you know to lead these people like Han, right?"

"I am not so sure, people may know me as a smuggler who sold out Han Solo to Darth Vader, then froze him into the Carbonite." Lando paused for a moment or two, and Leia was still listening closely to his next words, she knew that he may not join them right away. "But for Han's honor and memory, and my duty as a friend I will help you. Plus I have people of Cloud city to support you as well Princess. I mean General Organa."

Hearing those words, Leia silently thanked Han for Lando. She knew Lando like her husband and now, he will lead the Resistance with her. Lando was a good leader with the X Wing fighters with or without Dameron. "Very well, we will discuss this when you arrive here. Are you entering the Hoth right now?"

"Not yet, but I am near to the system, want me to come it?" Lando asked.

"Yes, of course Lando. Don't worry about the cold, I have some spare jackets for you to endure this cold anyway." Leia replied, placing her right hand on her lap, with new found hope burning on her chest. _This could be a big help._ "You made Han proud."

Lando laughed heartily then ceased it as he cleared his throat to speak. "Han, that old mugger until the end. He was my pal, and he trusted me and me and him? You know our friendship took an amazing turn of events right?" General Organa remembered the time when he sold them out to her father right after promising to fix the Falcon.

"How's Bespin treating you, did they worship you like modern day hero?" Leia joked, chuckling sound escapes her mouth, earning her to clear up her own mood. Her mind went blank as she saw herself again entering the Bespin system, the clouds and the sunset still glues through her memory. She shrugged it away again, breathing out cold air through her lungs.

Hoth's weather grew colder and colder, giving her chills to her old body. Just like the last time they were here. She fixed her white jacket closer pressing it to maintain her body heat. Moans and sounds of Tauntauns echoed as it bounces through the wall. She snapped her teeth preventing the chills from grating herself.

Lando already dropped the call. Shaking her head in Lando's actions and manners. _Still the same old Lando, like Han. A good scoundrel in my book._ Leia walked through the room where they monitored and scanned every area near their base. Some were listening to the signals of some suspicious sounds.

"Hello General." The golden droid, the ever loyal and compromising droid, C-P30 greets her. Still maintaining his robotic pose. "We already scanned the western parts of the hideout and R2 scanned through the eastern parts. As for today, we find negative sign of life, or droid."

R2 bleeps in agreement, turning its head to C-3P0, saying something that made him to snap back in annoyance. "Oh, don't say that R2, we checked everywhere and we are cleared for closing for tonight." R2 bleeps again making C-3P0 to use his metal foot to kick R2 on its lower part. "You dare to insult the survival of the Resistance R2?

He then turned to General Organa, shakes his head slowly. "I'm sorry General but R2 is trying to say that today is the winter season of Hoth, or shall we say the cold season. The temperature will drop into 35% from its normal temperature. I'm afraid, we will be frozen to death if we are to stay here."

"Understood, but we are still staying at this planet." Leia replied, ignoring all C-P30's remarks on the planet's condition as she called some few members. "Tell others to prepare the heaters and use the back generators for the energy. The temperature drops in fifteen minutes so hurry up."

"Yes General." The members replied, before walking away with swift and quickness towards their comrades. C-P30 left her side and started to chew on R2D2 again, as their arguments were audible through the cave.

TAKODONA

"Black leader, we are approaching the Takodona System in few minutes. Asking permission to drop out of light speed in time." A TIE Fighter pilot asked through the communicator as Ren piloted his own as well, approaching near quickly to the planet, to find Boba Fett.

Kylo Ren pushed some buttons on the cockpit of his own fighter, as the light speed travel lights illuminating through his eyes. "Permission granted, alert everyone as well."

He leaned back at his pilot ship, looking at his own hands controlling the fighter. He knew what to do and what course of actions to risk, when they arrive to the planet. "All follow my lead. " He started, with cold seriousness in his voice, which he knows that he is with authority.

The roar of his fighter blared to his ears with sounds that can be heard from the outside. He saw his other TIE fighter pilots taking form in on direction, going behind him. Relying on his strength and power to guide them, Ren has no choice but to be on the front. "Black corporal, do you copy?"

"Yes, Black Leader?"

With coldness in his voice and his eyes, with eyes focus on the cockpit of his fighter, he opened his mouth to bring forth commands to lead his troops. But he paused, how can he lead them without firing at the inhabitants? Boba Fett was a trigger happy bounty hunter, firing carelessly will cause them to panic. Ren's another purpose is to fill his father's wish. _Bridge the gap with the Resistance._ His father was right, he need to bridge it, but the question is how?

Especially with the bounty hunter on that specific planet, and risking his troops on the battlefield or maybe left alone to fend these themselves. _I can do this. If I can convince them to bridge the gap, I am sure they will disagree. Boba Fett is my first priority._ "If you spotted any Resistance members, do not pull your trigger, focus your attention on that bounty hunter. Understood?"

Stammers and stutters from the other pilots is audible from the communicator even with Kylo Ren's ears, perched up by his fighter's engine sound. "But, sir. General Hux commanded us to open fire at the planet itself that means especially the inhabitants as well."

 _Damn, Hux._ "Follow my orders as your Supreme Leader. Do not engage in open fire. And if you do, all of you will answer to me." He nastily growled with fearsome command that made every man tremble in fright. He frowned, knowing that this plan will never work out, even his father requested to. There are plenty of problems to face.

Facing Rey, after calling her nobody. After she tearfully begged him not to be consumed into the dark side. Atleast she can resist it, and sadly it was different scenario for Kylo Ren. Ever since he was born, he was fascinated and seduced to the dark side, knowing his mother, father and uncle were war heroes.

Facing that traitor, FN-2187. Knowing his knowledge and using it against the First Order. FN-2187 may not be pleased after hearing that his former leader offering a peace gap from the Resistance and the First Order. Like the last time he saw him, he slashed him across his back, knocking him unconscious.

Facing Chewie. That problem may be the hardest to face. He thought himself of keeping his blaster and keep it hidden in case Chewie breaks him and tears him to pieces after stabbing his long time best friend and his father, Han Solo. One of his moment with Chewie, was helping him trying to pull a prank on his father while he was fixing a compressor. He was ten that time.

Ren fixed his gazed down, it would be long and painful negotiation. _Maybe father wouldn't mind if I take the bounty hunter first before talking my way to the peace reform._ He scratched his head and growling after learning he can't think straight.

Voices in entered his eardrums. With a supernatural feeling covered and ran through his veins and blood. He knew what that means, and only he understands it.

The Force bond again reopens.

Looking from his cockpit, he didn't see the front windshield and some control buttons and the communicator. Instead, he saw a familiar face. A familiar eyes. A familiar Jedi.

Rey.

He remained silent, seeing her walking towards somewhere he cannot see or observe. Just her and him inside the Force nonsense. His breathing remained calm , knowing Rey will be so pissed knowing that their bond was still exist after Snoke's death.

Rey's head perked up, noticing the bond connection. She turns to him, with her face changed immediately to anger, which Kylo Ren anticipated fully. She gnashed her teeth in rage, forcing her to grab her blaster, just in case for anything Ren will do. "You still think, I can be touched by your pity party? I am over with it."

It struck him like a lightning and burning him through the ground. His eyes twitched in her words, staying calm and silent as she raised her eyebrows in his actions. Instead she walked away further and further, thinking that the bond already closed them both. He looked at her with sadness washed over his soul, observing her walk and ignoring him.

"I wasn't expecting you to." He finally said, breaking the silent but Rey remained undisturbed from his words and conversation. She was ignoring him with determination and hatred. She didn't look at him, only her back was facing him and nothing else. "Fine, then. Ignore me all you want, and I will ignore you as well."

He saw her to remain undisturbed, but the Force bond didn't even to let it up or to turn it off. _For the Force's sake, see she doesn't want to talk to me, can you carry on?_ To his surprise, Rey finally opened her lips and spoke. "If Snoke was dead, why are we still connected?"

 _I killed him. He was the one who intentionally bonded us with the force, now thanks to him I cannot even get this through._ He growled internally, still watching Rey's back and were head slightly turned to see him a little. "Are you on a Fighter?"

"Yes. Why do you care, if where I am?" He snapped with a little coldness in his voice and in his eyes. Rey pressed her lips together in silence, finally turning around facing him face to face. She saw his sad but angry eyes which made her face became negative. "You are planning an attack again on Takodona?"

"No, and why do you care about that anyway?" He replied, still with coldness and irritation along with his voice.

Rey frowned with her mouth trembling in search of the proper words to counter. "You strike down Luke Skywalker, you killed him, didn't you? Like your father." She clenched her fist in much anguish and pain she felt from her master, who was reluctant at first to train her taught her the lessons she deserves.

Ren shook his head, but his head is staring on his own boot. As well as some parts of the Fighter's cockpit. "I didn't killed him, like I did on my father."

She choked back her tears, her eyes welled up in frustration and in pain. She wiped it away, as tears foamed across her eyes and fell down through her cheek. She gritted her teeth in such depravity in her own mind. "Why?" she paused, exhaling and inhaling her sobs. "Why did you destroy his temple? Why did you let your mother be broken?"

Silence peered over his head and ears, watching her crying on her knees. Looking straight forward, was herself and nothing more. "Because I am nothing."

"You got everything." Rey snapped back in her own response, tightening her mouth from trembling and from crying. "You've got a family who were war heroes, and you dismantled and destroyed it." Ren remained in silence again after taking jabs from Rey's words painfully.

He saw her head tilted to his direction, eyes looking at his own soul. With burning passion of a fighter, he sighed and replied, carefully. "I don't have everything. They sent me away because Han Solo was downed with his smuggling debts and Leia Organa was busy rebuilding the republic." Rey stared at him, listening to every word that he said. "They ship me to Luke after my thought that I would be a good Jedi, but I don't want to be a Jedi."

"What?" Rey stammered in response, her words jingled from their own sentence. "What did you say?"

"I don't want to be a Jedi, ever since from the beginning. Ever since my mother shipped me to Luke Skywalker. I just want to be who I am, someone to accept me just I am." He bitterly replied, as harsh words began to flow from his mouth again. "Luke cannot appreciate me, my father doesn't want even my mother, who cannot understand me."

"Never, she loved you and she knows what's best for you.' She sobs from her own voice, as it became softer and softer. "Ben."

"Then why give me away?!" He roared slamming his fist into the cockpit but carefully trying not to push a single button. Rey's eyes widened from the sudden outburst and only she can do is to stare at his anger. "Then why left me with other padawans where I could be vulnerable. Kicked me to the ground, and drag me everywhere they want to."

"That's why you met Snoke? That monster?"

"No. He is not a monster. I am. I am a tool for his glory, and pleasure. Nothing more and nothing less." He replied with hurt and conflict in his heart, _damn why this hurts._ Rey shook her head in retaliation and n negativity.

"No you are not. You are just conflicted by him. You are never a monster, after I've met Snoke, he was the true monster. Not Ben Solo. Not you, whom your family loved you so much." Rey became persistent in her choice of words.

"They never loved me!" Ren roared through his lungs, but he maintained his tantrum away from his reach and tempted himself to grab his blaster and shot through his head in front of Rey. "I am not a monster? You called me a monster, a treacherous snake, what else? You treat me as one, my hope is gone. It is too late, nobody understands me now."

"I do, Ben. I do." Rey replied quietly.

"Then why refuse?"

The image of Rey disappeared through his eyes, as he was thrust back into his Fighter's cockpit. She's gone, from his sight but in Takodona, they will meet again. He tried to erase the whole conversation away from his head to avoid distractions. Sadly when he did, Rey's voice is always on his mind

Voices of his pilots were audible from his communicator. "Black Leader? Do you copy?"

Ren picked it up, placing it near his mouth, to respond and communicate. "Come in, Corporal."

"Prepare to jump out of light speed." The pilot said, making Ren to push some buttons as the fighters removed themselves from hyperspace, and the view of Takodona entered their eyes.

Meanwhile, on the planets orbit. Poe, finished checking the southern part of the planet, now planning to go back and approach Rey and Finn, knowing that there are no threats to stop them now. "BB-8, no bad guys to shot at, okay?"

BB-8 bleeps in response, causing Poe to look on his front windshield. His eyes widened in shock as dozens of TIE fighter approaching the System of Takodona. He immediately grabbed his communicator to General Organa, for help.

"General Organa this is Commander Poe Dameron, requesting back up. I repeat requesting back up. Army of TIE Fighters on sight. I repeat, requesting back up."

FIRST ORDER'S MAIN FLEET

Hux watched some ships and fighters come and go through the landing area. He saw Kylo Ren entering his own fighter, with dozens of other TIE fighter pilots, but one thing for sure. His plan is going into the right place and the right time. "Come in."

"Sir, we have entered the Takodona system. We are now dropping out of light speed. Any command sir?" A TIE pilot asked through the intercom, as Hux scratched his chin while walking towards the dark floor waiting for ideas.

"Let Kylo Ren take the lead, and follow what he says." He replied, short but clear for any members of the First Order to understand.

"Yes, General Hux. Anything else?"

"When you had chance, shoot him. Destroy or disable it if you must. Make it look like an accident."

"Consider it done, General." Hux smiled in his plan of mutiny as he walked back through the hallway by himself.


	5. Chapter 5

Finishing a dozen squads of First Order fighter ships was already bad enough. Then facing them with their skilled Supreme Leader on the leading star fighter was ten times worse. He knew, that Kylo Ren is after for someone or something that can be found on Takodona.

It could be Maz, but what does Maz plays through this whole revolutionary war.

Finn, will be out of the context either. Especially after denouncing the First Order, and left as a traitor, Poe doubted that the First Order needs to recapture him like in the old days.

Rey is also a negative choice of capture, especially on how many times she kicked the First Order on their butts, single handedly and surprisingly. She could be a real threat but as well as a bad choice recapture for the enemy to consider, most likely of being a Jedi.

Poe steered his X wing through the down surface of the planet, making sure he arrives first without the notice of any unwanted visitors, coming through the planet system. _They blew Maz's castle once, and they will blow it again._ Poe's mind filled with doubts and irritating visions, some weird visions. "BB-8, punch it!"

The ball droid, obeyed as he goes through the wires and rebooting Poe's fighter speed, reaching it to the maximum speed, heading straight from the upcoming enemy fleet and their Supreme Leader, flying towards the planet. Poe staggers back, with the strong force of gravity trying to push him to his chair.

The speedy fighter penetrates through the cloudy and shrouded clouds, scattered through the skies and disperse like being split into half. He gripped the steering mechanism while pushing some few buttons, helping him to control the fighter properly, without colliding to anything with the maximum speed.

He simultaneously steered left and right, avoiding maximum cooldown and meltdown of the engine, and ultimately will lead to explosion of the main compressor of the engine. The fighter responded with his actions, communicating smoothly to the fighter. Following his every intent of action and flow of his hand on the cockpit with the green sight of Takodona entered his eyes. "Commander Rey, do you copy? This is Red leader."

No response, he hovered the fighter upper, not letting himself to pummel across the ground. He searched through the demolished castle, and saw not even a being on the ground. Sighing, he tries again. "Commander Rey, do you copy? This is Red Leader."

"Captain Finn." He tried again, with hope that he will pick up. "This is Red Leader, do you copy?"

"Buddy?" A voice that Poe needed to hear and waiting for it. Knowing that they are in danger for another bombing run, probably, from the First Order itself. From the refelction of his own cockpit, he saw the star fighters already arrived the system.

Poe needs a direct answer to command Finn without any questions. He often questions too much. "Finn if you can hear me, find Commander Rey and get out of here quickly." He commanded, knowing and seeing the confused look from Finn without looking at him. "The First Order found us?"

"I can't hear you Poe." Finn's voice was very loud and clear, it was surprising he cannot hear him even with strong signal. "Tell Rey to what?'

"Evacuate the system already!" Poe exclaimed to make sure Finn will hear it with his both ear. _Please buddy._ Poe finds himself sulking over his own fear, steering back from the area, returning to the ruins. "Tell her to evacuate the system already, we cannot afford to take risk."

"Poe, I can't hear you. Can you hear me?" Finn's clear voice enters his ears, without any positive feedback through the situation. Poe knew they will be screwed, seeing the First Order fleets are already scouting the whole area. "Poe? Repeat? It must be the underground walls."

Poe's sweaty hands pressed through his ears and repeat his exact words, fearing that he will not hear it again and again. He hesitate for few seconds for Finn to come in, with such worry on his friend entered through his mind. _Breathe Poe, breathe. Jeez force Lewis, I feel worse than being sacked on a Carbonite._ The silence was killing him and was deafening, BB-8 bleeps making Poe to forget that he was actually on his back.

"I think I get what you are telling me." Finn's voice rang, his confused voice now replaced by surprise and expectation of the events. Poe sighed in relief, but he had one more task to do. Escort them to the Falcon, with no scratch or else Leia will kill him, and he knows it. "The First Order found us. Keep us covered while I contact Rey."

"Understood, now please hurry." Poe said pleadingly through the intercom, BB-8 bleeps also which made Poe to glare at his windshield, with frustration. The TIE fighters were still on position of orbiting the entire orbit of the system, clearly looking for something. He placed his intercom call somewhere on the Hoth system. "General Organa, this is Red leader Commander Poe Dameron, requesting the permission to approach the opposing fleet with fire power. I request some back up."

"Request for approaching the opposing fleets granted. Request for sending for back up rejected. Poe, we cannot lose more X wing pilots, we are still contacting people of Bespin to support us." Leia's command was loud and clear, we will do something that he is always good at. Diversion. Poe exhaled through his mouth in his new command. "Captain Finn and Commander Rey, where are they?"

Poe wanted to shut himself from the communicator from his own good, telling her where those two are, especially in the First Order attack. "I am still trying to get their coordinates, and they have negative responses, waiting for your command."

"Do not allow the First Order to reach them. Protect them at your own will, but stay alive Commander, we cannot afford to lose you also."

He turned to his right, looking at BB-8 using the reflection. "Alright buddy, guide me if you can and help me with your system. Whatever happens, you are still going down with me, understood?" BB-8 bleeps, agreeing to what Poe commanded as his master. Knowing that he cannot override his own master, BB-8 began to push some wires and some parts making the X wing fighter stable as ever.

"Resistance fighter, coming from 8 clock."

The command or and heads up rang in Kylo Ren's cockpit. He sense it, and he knew a Resistance pilot would be with them, knowing the fact that they cannot lose each other further. "Requesting for full command, Black Leader."

Ren focused on his fighter's cockpit, leaning to the glass window, showing Poe's direction heading towards the group. Ren has no plans to destroy every one of them, he is only here to retrieve and to meet the bounty hunter. Why on his own fighter? From the stories of his own father, Boba Fett is known to be a trigger happy one, firing anyone whom he doesn't trust. Poe's blaster from his X wing flew towards the air, aiming for his ship. He narrowly dodged it, steering it to the right corner. "Hold you fire, do not engage in fight. Focus on finding the bounty hunter."

Another shot from Poe's X wing flew across the west side of Ren's fighter. He glared at his control panel, giving the fighter a 360 spin, almost grazed the metal parts. His comrades flew in their different ways, one was chased by the Resistance pilot.

"Black leader, he's behind me? Permission to fight back, sir?"

"Permission denied. Lose him if you want to, never fire a single blaster on that Resistance pilot." Ren growled in his command eyeing the lone TIE pilot trying to lose the X wing pilot from his tail. He knew that his comrades will question his loyalty, but it was for the better purpose, in finding someone they are looking for.

He often remembers how his father brags about beating Boba Fett and pushed him towards the Sarlacc pit, without knowing or realizing it. The great Jabba the Hutt of Tatooine, was killed by her mother in her slave outfit.

Without thinking on what he was doing, he managed to follow the X wing pilot, who was following his comrade. He pressed his lips together, while focusing every direction and every movement the enemy fighter commences.

Poe looked back and growled in frustration. Kylo freaking Ren is on his tail. He pulled his fighter up, avoiding the further contact with their Supreme Leader, and he knows that he is not the one to be messed with. He piloted his ship towards the area where Rey and Finn were. "Finn hurry up!"

No response and just static of the signal. He slammed his fist on the cockpit in irritation and impatience. The X wing pilot heads towards the north, heading straight to the lone TIE fighter. With such determination, he pressed the fire button, letting the blaster bolts flew towards the TIE fighter. Not even a second to take for the pilot to realize, the fighter collided with the blaster, as flames of explosion cracks the surface.

He gave a final look of respect as Poe turned to his left heading for another enemy fighter on sight. He never felt any guilt or any pain memories when destroying a pilot or even killing them. _This is war, we war. We always felt the loss._ He assured himself, like he always do every time he kills somebody.

The sight of the fallen comrade and pilot tempted Kylo Ren to aim his own fighter's blaster towards the X wing pilot. "Remain at neutral mode, hold you fire and find for that bounty hunter"

 **FIRST ORDER FLEET**

The members of the control facility witnessed and managed to see what is happening on the planet's system. General Hux was one of them, eyeing the monitor of every fighter's condition especially Ren, whose fighter was in bright red.

"Red squadron, shall we send more back up?" he heard one of the communicator of the facility asked one of the fighter's pilot whose voice he cannot hear as he turned towards the darkest corner of the room, sulking on the past events of the First Order.

Hux stared at the red marked ship, besides the ship with a mark of X means that the fighter was down. He considers to send a squad of Stormtroopers on the ground, blowing up every area, to cover up the set up. Hux knew that one specific pilot will strike him in time and sending troops on the ground will just witness it.

Instead of leading the commands without their Supreme Leader, he half hardly placed his ear communicator on his left ear, watching every officers and Stormtroopers passing to the facility. Using his left arm to cover the communicator, he began to connect a call. "How's the progress?"

"Still on the go, General Hux. Ren ordered us to remain on neutral state and not to fire a single blaster from our own guns." Now, he cares for the Resistance himself. What happened to the man who ordered the attack on Crait and wasting their time and energy on firing his uncle who wasn't even there? Hux remained standing at the corner, sulking and waiting for his chance in command.

Like a prey and the predator, patiently waiting for their kill zone.

With his throat went dry, itching for the command to escape his mouth and his tongue. Hux knew the power to be bestowed when he rid of Kylo Ren once and for all. His father would be proud, taking one's power to oneself and that is something his father cannot do, all his life. "Commence attack on Kylo Ren's ship, make it quick and fast."

"Yes, sir. Approaching him sir."

Those words were as beautiful and music to his ears, flowing the melody of mutiny has pledged his full effect and chaos on its victim will forever damned through the face of the galaxy. His dream of becoming way higher than his father is one step closer from grasp.

 _You were wrong, father. When Ren is down, I will be something you never hoped for._ His mind drew words, sparking his fire and anger in his dead father's sake. He knew, Ren was easily to be fooled especially when that something links in his personal interests and vendettas. "Good, keep you distance, make sure you hit him and it will hit the critical point of his fighter."

"Yes, sir. I only live to serve you, General Hux and nothing more." The General name will be forgotten when Hux will sit on the Supreme Leader's throne, he would be nevermore be called as General but Supreme Leader. "Lord Ren is above me, three o clock."

Hux remained calm, inwardly can't contain the sight and the desire seeing his rival crashing down the ground, explosions and fires scattered around his body as he screams in agony. He counted seconds to minutes, knowing in perfect time, Ren's ship will crash down.

"General Hux, he is in front of me. Fifty meters apart, somewhere 450 meters above the System's surface? Should I engage now? He is in the perfect range and height." The TIE pilot on his communicator spoke from the fighter, as he closely watched the fighter following Ren's fighter on the monitors.

Hux slicked his teeth, covering his mouth to lower the voice auditability, making it less clear for his other workers in this fleet. "Wait for another chance. 450 meters isn't high for that fighter to crash down hard, persuade him to go higher then fire him."

"On it sir."

He waited for another minute, another two minutes, and five minutes. He never replied, possibly that Resistance pilot managed to disable or destroyed that TIE fighter. _Looks like you are lucky enough, Ren. But this is not the last._ He muttered, sulkily and angrily kicking the floor loud enough for the other workers turned their head watching him burst into anger.

He gave them a deadly glare, sneering them silently, swearing to himself that they will all will pay for this kind of embarrassment and humiliation. He felt ashamed but his pride kept him going and going, through the mutiny.

"General Hux, he is approximately 1,576 meters from the surface, and it already high for the planned fire. Should I engage and attack sir?" Hux laughed quietly, his victory has been sealed by his own. No force or not even some damn Sith that helped him climbed on his own. Scrunching his nose, and wiping his sweat from his forehead, he placed his hand on his communicator and quietly, and slowly replied what would have been, the command that will change his life forever.

"Fire."

 **TAKODONA**

Ren grumbled, in frustration after dodging a hundred times and focusing finding Boba Fett on the ground system. How can he not realize that he may be tricked into some way of betrayal or traitorous deeds like that Stormtrooper back at Starkiller's base?

After hearing the suggestion from one pilot, suggesting that they should raise the altitude of the fighter's to avoid the attacks from the lone Resistance fighter and to refrain losing more pilots to protect himself.

Without much further hesitation or even retaliation, he somewhat agreed to raise the altitude, marking on his command to sway Poe Dameron from their fleet, since his command was not to fire a single blaster from their own fighter. "Cover me, I am raising altitude, watch out for the enemy ship if you can see him."

"Behind you sir, 12 o clock." One squadron replied, alerting the fighter's presence, and turning away from him. Poe from the cockpit looked at BB-8 with confusion, after trying to subdue the First Order away from the planet's system.

"Okay buddy, help me on this one." He commanded, while BB-8 beeps in agreement, switching his head left and right, watching for his owner in every direction. "There! You see it? Locked him in!"

The screen sensors aimed at one TIE fighter, behind Ren's ship following him in every direction, even raising altitude towards the sky. He watched as the TIE fighter, locking its weapons straight towards their leader's, trying to follow it's every turns and spins.

The sensor on Poe's deck glowed and grew red, signifying that the aim is locked on the enemy fighter, only few seconds to spare to finish him up and to destroy him. He waited for few moments, waiting for the clear and clean shot he can ever decide towards the opportunity.

Closing the distance between the two, Poe pushed the blaster's button using his thumb finger as it flew from his ship, blazing its way towards the fighter, as the fighter in front of him fired twelve blaster bolts flying and piercing through the engine areas of his leader's ship.

Poe cannot believe what he was seeing. Is he imagining this things and overlooked it or did he just saw a squadron firing dozen of blaster bolts, hurling it to their leader with some reasons that he cannot know? This is really absurd, one fighting another, his own comrade.

"Holy hell." He swore watching Kylo Ren's ship erupting into flames and smoke from the engine emerged and it was thick and burning, catching its own prey as it began to burn and the engine exploded even larger.

It was burning in flames. Cracking the flames as the smoke engulfs the fighter.

Betrayal.

Finn must have felt the same thing.

His target flew upwards, unharmed as his blaster bolts flew towards the sky, without hitting anything or anyone on the range. Poe shook his head, after knowing he missed an easy target, while eyeing the downed fighter.

The horror on his face was still glued through his expression, watching the fighter fell down towards the surface of the planet, with its smoke clouding down and follows it on the ground. He kept his eyes glued to the bottom of the surface, with shocked expression on his face, his throat and consciousness began to pile his mind and was distracted enough to remove his hand from the cockpit, despite of BB-8's beeps of protests.

General Organa's son, is dead.

Han Solo's son is burning in flames and smashed into smithereens, from his own comrade.

Guilt rose up to his chest, griping his handle on the fighter's control, steering the ship to the bottom, sensing that a diversion. Poe knew that when the First Order will hear this, they will put bounty on his head for firing at their Supreme Leader even though he fired to a TIE fighter.

"Commander Dameron? Are you still alive?" Now his day was pretty messed up and has gotten worse. Poe couldn't even look at General Organa pissed through his rowdy action on the Resistance, how much more the look of General Organa devastated after learning that all of her family is gone.

He swallowed hard, to his esophagus. "I am still here, General. We've got a bit of a problem, First Order fleet scattered around the area, and were refusing to fire at me."

"Very well." Leia's voice conversed on the communicator, on Poe's ears. "Any connection with Captain Finn or Commander Rey?"

"Negative General." He can't tell her. He really can't, even seeing it from his own eyes. He cannot stand for the General to know much more to give pain through her life. His tongue itches, and he bit it hard. He gagged in pain, blood from his tongue flowed from his mouth while he wiped it using his left hand. "I am still looking at their location right now. I might be facilitating around the Falcon's location."

He froze for few moment as a TIE fighter flew to his direction, with no regard and authority on his own life. Poe intentionally pushed the fire button ending the pilot's life in flames, with explosion on the whole ship. "General Organa, in this circumstances, I must stay here and cooperate with Captain Finn and Commander Rey."

"Poe, you've done enough." General's voice was hoarse and tired. "Leave the system immediately and come to Hoth."

"How about Finn and Rey?" _They'll be fine, Poe. They can take care of themselves._

"They still have the Falcon, and Maz will help them to keep themselves low profile. I will contact them both when time comes."

"Yes, General." He replied, _I am getting too tired for this nonsense and lies,_ he muttered and slapped his side cheek for being an idiot and followed the diversion. Now he expects his head will be in the First Order's wanted list few days from now. "Exiting the System, right now."

His eyes traverse through the dark space, his eyes gleamed through every star and light and with no sign of First Order fleet or anything that can follow him right now. "Entering the Lightspeed."

With light zoned through the dark space, his trail was no more.

Finn's going to kill him. He gasped in air after minutes of running back and forth, telling Rey to get out, telling Chewie to prepare the Falcon to blast off. Returning to Rey, telling that TIE fighters are everywhere, then returned to the Falcon seeing Chewie fixing the Falcon signifying that something was broken.

Running towards his last cycle around the two, he gasped for air as it struggled to enter his lungs. Screams of TIE fighters still scattered on the air, which made Finn to thank the trees to make him invincible on sight. Maz's cantina's entrance was a small opening, secretly hidden on the forest for the Resistance to come over and plan.

Using all his energy out, he slowly jogged as the forest trees watching him and it was giving him creeps to his spine. Finn's jog grew slowly paced in every steps until it evolved into walking. The sound of water entered his ears, knowing that Maz's entrance was near the river, and the sound of the river marks that he is near.

Screams of TIE fighters winded down, Finn can only guess that they already left the planet system, he was also surprised that there were no casualties when they left, tired of paying every expenses of their damage maybe?

His eyes were scanning on the glimmer and reflection of the raging water, flowing from northwest to southeast of Maz's hidden cantina. He continued his pace in walking, few steps and steps stepping on some certain vegetation along the way. The heat temperature is affecting him, wiping his sweat beads on his forehead.

"Wow, I didn't realized that it would be hotter here than Jakku." He snickered, keeping the pace of his walk, and the sight of the clear and clean river water itches him. All he wanted to do is to take his shirt off, then dive headfirst on the river waters, cleaning himself. Rey wouldn't mind if he arrives with wet shirt and pants.

The heat was killing him, something that is burning on his skin in much higher degree of temperature. He panted while clutching his collar making way for the air to enter his shirt. It was keeping him cool until he kept walking as the temperature grew even hotter for him.

This is not normal. He sniffed some air and coughed some. His nose senses a smell that is painful to inhale especially in his nose.

Smoke.

It was coming from the river bank, and he didn't realized that he was near on a fire. He trekked closer at the riverside, ignoring the rising of the temperature and the smoke blocking his airway. He covered his nose giving him the ability to breathe properly with some smoke on his nostrils.

A fire

He turned and his eyes widened in shock and surprised, indicating he did not see this sight coming. A downed and burning fighter, dangling on the rock formations, somehow managed to crack some of the rocks. It was facing on the river face first with the cockpit glass smashed and was looking on the river waters below it.

Finn glared it, stepping forward slowly making his way to see if the pilot survived or not. The river gashes below him and its strong current over lapsed the boundaries, but didn't hit the burning fighter. The smell of burning gasoline entered his nostrils, but somehow ignored it, but it grow stronger every time he took another step.

Suddenly, it exploded.

He was near enough for the explosion to knock him back towards another rock formation on his back. Hitting him on the back of his head, knocking him unconsciously falling through the shallow waters of the river bank, letting the water enter his ears and mouth, eyes shutting close.

Few meters away, a man dressed in black was unconsciously lying on the other side of the river, with blood flowing on his forehead, and glass shards sticking on his leg, the excess loss of his blood turned the river color into crimson red due to his injury.

Darkness was the first thing he saw.


	6. Chapter 6

**Wow, I didn't realize that I need two to three days just to write 3 to 4 thousand words chapter. Sorry for the delay, finals sucks, requirements sucks, ROTC suck, pretty much everything in my life sucks right now. Well except you guys, your reviews what boosts me up.**

 **Feel free to comment any criticisms, probably shaping me to be a better writer.**

 **Last time we left, Ben isn't looking good….**

 _ **Some legends are told**_

 _ **Some turn dust into**_ **gold**

 _ **But will you remember me**_

 _ **Remember me for centuries**_

" _ **Centuries" by Fall Out Boy**_

Isolation, was the first word Rey comes through her mind, screaming some memories and as well nightmares that haunted her for years. She gazed upon the walls of Maz's cantina, sitting alone while Finn was on his feet running warning Chewy to do something.

The cantina grew quiet, and it was deafening for her to admit. Since the last attack earlier, Maz silenced them all and even the music around the place. They couldn't afford to lose this again and again from the First Order itself. She let Finn to do the work, since Maz begged her to stay for safety purposes, since Finn was not a bigger target than herself.

She often wondered, that she is going to be a big walking target throughout the whole wide universe. Kylo Ren would be restless finding her, even with the force bond connection still tying them like a knot, she was determine to bring peace, knowing the thousands of people to be saved from this murderous war. Finn left the cantina after Poe's report of evacuating and leaving the system himself by General's orders.

Somehow, General Organa's orders was to let them stay behind in the system, letting Maz help them to rebuild the Resistance. First step was to have Rey's proper lightsaber, since her last one was broken in half. Poe was already millions of miles away from them, knowing Poe cannot defy General Organa's orders again, since the last time it happens.

She remained on her sitting stance, as the cantina began to move around and quietly becoming merrier than the last minute, but with caution. Rey knew that First Order TIE fighter troops were still on the air, due to the engine screams and its wind speed. Even they are forty feet the ground, hiding from another potential attack from those beasts, they stay hidden.

Maz eyed her, holding some drinks for some costumers, who were all waiting patiently for their refreshments. Even she thought of being crazy by being haunted by the some ghost who were supposed to be dead thirty or forty years ago. It haunts her, every now and then, from the start. She glanced at her direction, staying in her sitting position, and waiting for the TIE fighters to scramble away.

Chewy did a great a job hiding the Falcon from the plain sight from other people.

"You asked for some Kyber crystals aren't you? Child, I may have knowledge but these crystals are getting rare to find and to mine." Maz devotedly spoke, with such sparkle in her eyes. Rey wondered how many times she saw her own eyes from the past people and years.

Rey shrugged out of confusion, but still looking at Maz's eyes. Maz removed her goggles and let her see her small but useful eyes. She remained her silence and curiosity, giving Maz some space to speak what in her mind. "Rey, child. A lightsaber is built through using the Kyber crystals which can be mined through a certain planet."

Rey asked to inquire. "You wanted me to leave here for another planet?"

Maz slightly nodded, knowing her confusion in her voice and her eyes. Rey's lips twitched in irritation but remain her control. Her pose stiffen while she nervously tapping her leg with her fingers. "Patience child. Being a Jedi takes patience."

"Patience?" Rey stood up from her seat, with slight exclamation. It was low but rest of the quiet cantina heard it turning their heads on her direction again, watching her stood up from her feet. "The First Order is going stronger and stronger in every week we waste."

The orange alien slightly clasped her hands together. "Patience, Rey. It can help you go through the ways of the Jedi."

"Jedi Order is dead, Master Skywalker already claimed the Jedi Order is good as extinct." Rey spoke back and remained in control with her emotions. "By the look of Kylo Ren's face, he knew it also."

Rey quietly paced around the cantina, looking for something missing in her flow of emotions. Maz quietly reached out her hand and gestured hier to take a seat back. "Sit down, child."

She looked intensely at her chair. _I came her for Maz's help, and I only require her help and not from anybody._ She huffed, wiping her forehead with such beads of sweat dropping in her hair and her neck. Rey ponders about the Resistance, she cares for them even though she never met some in person and just died from the battle. _I want no more deaths, no more loss. No more war and battle._ She grabbed Maz's hands while guiding her to sit down.

With no hesitation, she sat down. Planning to listen to Maz's words of advice. "But I know Luke, and you are the last Jedi the galaxy is hoping for. Skywalker is no more, but his hope flows through you."

"But Master Skywalker said that he lost hope when his nephew turned against him." She shook her head, remembering the words of Luke that led him to his own exile at Ahch-To, and leaving the Jedi order to be extinct. "Wasn't he a hopeless person more than me?"

"Child, you haven't met Luke when he was young?" Rey stopped in her words and thoughts. The only Luke she knew was the hopeless one and haven't seen the whole point of Luke's life. Only stories on how Luke destroyed the Empire, looking from the inside? Never, to say at least. Her slight ponder of words made her to bite her lip. Maz silently snickered. "Luke was the most loyal boy I met when he and his friends went here to celebrate after the destruction of the second Death Star, they're also here before Han and Leia got married and went in their separate ways."

"Right before a monster came into their lives and ruined everything." She mumbles, but quietly fearing that Maz will hear her insulting the Skywalker bloodline.

Maz closed her eyes, feeling the emotions through her remembering those three in her old cantina. "Luke came from Tatooine, and was formerly a farmer."

Another dessert planet, Rey wonders. _I came from Jakku and he came from Tatooine, jeez does this look like familiar to me?_ She looked intently at Maz, nodding for her to continue her things she need to tell her. "Who never thought that the droids that were highly sought by the Empire for having the plans of the Death Star? Lots of people sacrificed their lives on that day. Including a handful of best members of the rebellion, including Cassian Andor and Jyn Erso."

Rey shrugged and those people's names struck her in her spine, giving her chills as her head did the talking once again, as always. "I've heard about it, stories and much more."

"You wouldn't believe that Luke was dragged into the whole rebellion thing and brought Han with him." Maz laughed, putting her hands above the table as she saw Rey poured on probably her third drink. "Han was hunted and desperate to join because of his insufferable debt to Jabba the Hutt, and led him to be frozen in carbonite. Good thing he learned that joining and fighting against evil can't be repaid by money."

"Still he had some debt to some gangs we encounter previously." Rey laughed back, remembering the first time she met Han Solo, fending off some Rathars and escaping through the Millennium Falcon, with her as his co-pilot. Not long before his death, seeing the red flash of lightsaber impaling his torso. She wanted to forget that dark memory clouded in her mind and in her heart. "And of Luke, I think I know the rest."

Maz came forwards clutching Rey's hands into hers, watching her eyes intently. "If you were to emulate, the same man who fought the Empire and brought it down to its knees, then you are fighting for the wrong purposes."

Watching her clutched hand in Maz's orange hands, she tempted herself to withdrew back simply of not helping her to build her own lightsaber. Then her words struck her mind, with questions. _What am I fighting for?_ She wonders in her mind, does she wanted to be like her former Master who became a legend? Or does she wants order and purpose through this story? "I often looked at him as one of the greats, I never wanted to emulate him."

"I know child." Maz started. "But I've seen your eyes ever since you arrived here in this planet, in my cantina, like in the first time. I saw the eyes of a young woman who is destined to be in greater heights, and someone who is determine to do so for all you care for."

"I am nobody, remember?" Rey's voice and emotions flowed through her veins. She wanted to hide or to crawl somewhere rather than talking to Maz. "Ben told me that my parents sold me for drinking money and drunk themselves to death."

Maz simply shook her head, something in negative. "Greatness is not by having a larger and more appealing pasts. You didn't take the ways of the Force too seriously. It doesn't matter if you are just a scavenger, look at you now. A powerful Jedi with the skills and knowledge of Luke Skywalker, with wits and tactics of Han Solo and with compassion and care of Leia Organa."

Rey wiped her running tears away, knowing that Maz was right. It was with Han's blessing when she took the Millennium Falcon in her care with his skills and abilities as the pilot. It was Luke's teachings that made her the Jedi she never imagined of, with his help and skills. Lastly, Leia was the one who helped her for being compassionate and care in her friends, with Finn, Poe and all the Resistance. Especially stopping her hand from striking Kylo Ren once and for all.

"Where did my parents go or where did I came from?"

"I'm afraid, Luke knew about it, without you realizing it." Maz calmly replied, in her question. She was prepared for Rey's next reaction, from shocked to surprised.

Rey couldn't believe her ears and as well as her mind, on what those words entered and had something in common. Luke knew? How? Luke never knew her until she was sent to Ahch-To, meeting him eye to eye. "He never mentioned it. How can he keep it from me?"

"Tell me Rey, what was Luke's reaction when you met him for the first time."

Sighing, she closed her eyes trying to remember, from arriving to the planet. Climbing and locating him on the isolated island and handing him the lightsaber in which the legends told, it was his father's. _Anakin._ "He looked at me with sadness and despair. He looked at me like he reminded me of someone."

The orange alien came closer to Rey, as she placed her hand in her shoulder blades in assurance and comfort to what she has been through. "You mentioned that you reminded him of someone? He and that someone were close to him and especially to his father?"

"Who is he? What does he reminds him of me?"

"Does the name Obi Wan Kenobi sounds familiar to you Rey?" Maz replied, with no regrets of saying the name to her, knowing the risk that Luke avoided in order to preserve her from the Dark Side. "He was an amazing man to Luke."

Rey's curiosity even led her to question more about that man or everything related to that man and to her. "I heard of him fighting in the Clone Wars, and other than that I can't say the same thing. Why did Luke reminded looked at me like he looked at him?"

"I'm afraid you have to figure it out yourself, dear."

"What? Maz, you got to tell me about it? Why does Luke hide it from me in his feelings? Who was Obi Wan Kenobi?" Rey wanted to know everything and anything just to satisfy her knowledge about herself and her family. She didn't know that Luke had something mysterious hiding beneath his cloak and didn't tell her.

The small alien simply shrugged and gave her a map, written in the brown paper. She place it on an open palm and closed it using Rey's fingers and hand. "Patience, Rey. Only time will tell your destiny and answers. Now on here, you must go to the IIum, and find the proper crystals for your own lightsaber."

"IIum? The one with thousands of crystals at its disposal? Why go there?"

"So much questions aren't you?" Maz smiled in Rey's bombard of questions, as she looked at Rey's palm and began to note it with her words. "In the tradition of trained Jedi's, one must go to that system and mine your own crystal in order to be used as a lightsaber. I hope you find your answers on the way."

Rey couldn't help but smile and to thank her little friend who has been constantly helping her and the resistance since day 1. "Thank you Maz. I must go, Finn may be hiding into the Falcon away from the TIE fighters."

"Send some regards to my Wookie and that Stormtrooper."

"Understood." She smiled childishly, after wiping her sweat and some few tears away from her eyes as they salted it, making her flinch and to rub her eyes using her hands as she heads towards the exit, with few stairs up to the ground surface. Maz did a good job of rebuilding the cantina and hiding it ffrom the plain sight of the First Order.

Arriving at the exit, a certain smell that her senses struck her. It was burning fuel and smoke as it enters her nostrils. _Probably a burned speeder or a downed TIE fighter._ She instantly debated herself whether to check on the burning odor or not, risking to be detected again for the second time in the same planet. She continued walking towards the parked Millennium Falcon.

Not knowing, near the riverbank, two unlucky people were dragged to the river's current.

#

Darkness.

Burning ray of light, entering his eyes.

Finn opened his eyes immediately, and realizes that all of his body are underwater, except his head. He gasped for air, trying to remember everything that had happen in just 20 minutes or so. He looked around and no sign of anything familiar, as he felt the water current pushing him farther and farther. "Damn it."

Moving his hands sideward and upward, he dive his hands into the water as he began to swim towards the riverbank. He coughed as he choked some water that he might previously drank while he was unconscious on the river's current.

He kept his rhythm as the water affect his jacket's load and made his jacket even more heavy than it was dry. Clutching on some tree branch that were dangling around near the river bank, he grabbed it trying to reach the shore using it. He felt his hand slipping to the small tree branch, he clutched it hard, taking a step from the river bed, stopping him from going with the river's flow.

His left hand slipped, and leaving his right hand for him to resist the river's current and even drove him farther where Rey can't track him. Biting his lip in efforts and struggle, his left hand reaches out anything sturdy or a tree branch that can strengthen his own stand against the current of the river. Finn's hand goes under water, trying to felt something useful, hoping that nobody will gobble up his left hand.

Shifting to the east direction, he tried to felt something underwater, with some hope and determination to grab just to remove himself from the river and to have himself dried off and to contact Rey where he was. His fingers touched something smooth and sturdy, his expression changed into shock as he moved his hand upper to this 'smooth tree branch' and was not expecting on what he felt next.

A cloth.

He was holding an arm.

With fear, he turned around, trying to see where did it came from. Right behind him, in a nearby rock formation blocking the body from moving forward was a man, with his left hand raised to Finn's direction. He convinced himself not to freak out but the water's current disabled him to see the man's face clearly from the water's edges. Finn spit some water out of his mouth, but he had to admit that it was refreshing. Using the man's had as the current stopper, he dragged himself and the man one step at the time.

"Okay Finn, you got this. One step, that's two step. That's three step, few more yards to the dry land. Come one buddy, you can do it." He exhaled, closing his mouth and trying not letting the water to enter his nostrils and his mouth. Feeling the rocks beneath the river bed was his only hope, reaching the river bank at last, with his hand connecting to stranger's body. At least it was a human being.

Not just any human being.

"I'll be damned." He cursed to himself loudly, as he turned around and planning to check on the man he pulled from the river bank and he didn't expect to see something that made his blood boil and his anger rising.

Kylo freaking Ren. The Supreme Leader of the First Order.

Unconscious.

Finn knew this was his chance of destroying the First Order forever by killing one of their strongest leaders and it can cripple them entirely. Finn knows about this, as he found himself carrying a large rock in his palm and carefully walking through the Ren's unconscious body. His heart beating fast, he never killed anyone in cold blood. But in Ren's case, he can guess he deserves this death.

As he walk closer, the sights of his injuries made him to stagger back. His head had a large gash as it runs through his forehead, as well as his scar reopens. Blood flowed nonstop from the First Order Supreme Leader's mouth and forehead. _He must hit his head really hard._

Pulling him further from the waters, he placed a finger in his nostrils and found him breathing. He shook his head from his condition and noticed that he is struggling to breathe in past few minutes, must have been the water entered his nostril or his mouth. Finn can only think of something he wasn't proud of.

"Rey will kill me if I let this monster live." Finn moaned in frustration. "Where is Rey when you need her?" He added as he placed his hand into Ren's chest and pushed it into his chest, thus performing a CPR.

"Well Rey has her Jedi business and I am here, trying to save her enemy. If Poe finds him, he'll be dead for sure." Finn grumbles, while pushing and trying to remove the water out of Ren's lungs to lessen the breathing struggle. Kylo Ren didn't even coughed some water, he remained still and his breathing began to cease.

There is only one thing Finn has left to do, and he will forever loathe himself to do it. "Force almighty, damning me for a thousand times worse and it's much worse than being in a bantha fodder." He sighed, opening Ren's mouth showing his teeth and lips.

He wanted to slap himself.

"Here goes nothing."

That same awkward moment and action to Finn's life ended when Ren coughed water out of his lungs, after Finn did the same procedure three to four times. Ren remained unconscious and his eyes closed, as Finn sat on the rocks blaming and cursing himself. "I think I need an apology for Rose for having my lips touched by some man, and not just by any man, it's the Resistance sworn enemy."

He shook his head, praying that Rey would appear in the sky with the Millennium Falcon.

 **To those of you who are wondering, this story will contain Ben/Rey and Finn/Rose relationships. I intentionally planned to have Finn accompany Ben in hiding from the First Order, and as well as the Resistance, so that I can write a different pace and setting rather than Rey accompany Ben. But don't worry shippers (I wouldn't call myself one, for some reasons) She will have her own time Ren soon.**

 **Thanks for reading.**


	7. Chapter 7

The mightiness of the Millennium Falcon stood as far as few meters, as its glory remain unscathed even with the loss of its previous and legendary owner. The day was quiet and the light began to set through the skies, slowly turning into the night. Rey, after trekking to the Falcon nearly twenty minutes ago, still holds the awe and transgressions of admiration to the ship.

Smiling to herself with a piece of folded paper on his palm, she quickly walked to the Falcon's direction expecting Chewie or Finn will show up after the short and surprisingly, failed TIE fighter run. She recalled Finn running back and forth to the cantina and the Falcon three times, seeing him groan in several times out of exhaustion.

She wiped some sweat dripping into her neck, damping her neck and as well as her chest using the back of her right hand. Gasping for few moments under the heat of an afternoon light, her movement grow slowly but still the Falcon is within her arms reach, all with parts and sparks.

Maz's words from her conversation earlier still stocked and remained glued to her mind and it was playing over and over again, entering her ears and as well as her mind for a few times. Words and as well as names pierced through and wanting her to pull out her eardrums.

The name Obi Wan Kenobi still remains on her memory, instead of the planet name that she was to focus on in building the lightsaber. Maz intently told her that she was getting impatient. _Does being impatient can lead to the dark side?_ Probably not in her own mind.

Rey immediately realized she was not walking or not moving, for thinking too deeply when walking on the road. She topped knowing her thoughts has been bothering her far too much. _Maybe a little rest might help this. I am thinking about this too much._ Using the Falcon's size as a shed from the sunlight, the shadow of the ship blocked any ray of light, making her to cloud beneath the shadows. "Obi Wan Kenobi."

The name remains on her mind, why the Force did Maz made her to figure it out herself. Luke was hiding it and doesn't want her to know exactly. _You hid from me, Master._ Rey heard a plenty of stories about Obi Wan Kenobi, especially on the Clone Wars and the hunt of General Grievous, marking the death of the android General, before the execution of the Order 66.

Words again entered her mind from Maz, saying that he reminded him of someone or something when the first time they met each other. Rey shook her head from disbelief. _Obi Wan and I could be related._ She spoke to herself, trying to break the clue.

The only question was, why Luke looked at her with sorrow and regret, did Luke disappointed Obi Wan years ago that she didn't even know? Now she felt numb. She cannot trust anyone but her mentor and comrades, but she began to grow doubts to her mentor. Especially hiding something very important to her.

Memories of blurred and dark images was the only thing she remembered in her ancestry, probably Obi Wan Kenobi can help her if she knows how to summon a dead Jedi from the grave.

"You're thinking. Your thoughts brought fear in your mind and disturbance."

Rey snapped from her thoughts, still her eyes is on the dark shadows of the Falcon, still covering her whole body from the light. She knew that voice and it spoke to her earlier that day, her lightsaber's real owner. "Master Anakin."

Anakin smiled in recognition in her voice without fear and disturbance in her spirits. "Too formal. Anakin is just fine. How was your talk to Kanata?"

She froze. Even her lungs stopped taking in oxygen, she was left breathless at his sight. Her first encounter with him was not a pleasant and confusing one, with her not looking straight to Anakin's face all the time. Her eyes stared towards the Force ghost, as he gave her a smile. She found herself breathing slowly in every rhythm in her mind. _Breathe Rey._

Almost hyperventilating, Anakin spoke as cleared the silence between the two. "I suppose that it didn't went well?"

"I don't know Master Anakin."

"Rey, Anakin is just fine. I don't deserve being referred to as a master, not even once." The Force ghost frowned, but his calm expression made things even calmer for the two of them. "I just don't deserve it, not after what I've done."

Rey knew what he meant. Darth Vader. The most hated man in the galaxy, also known to be the greatest and most powerful Sith that ever lived back in the days of the Rebellion. Now she was talking to him, the same man responsible of the deaths of hundreds of people, maybe a thousand.

Looking at the eyes of the same man changes everything that Rey though he would be. She saw the eyes of one who is afraid of losing someone, whose past is full of jealousy, hatred and rage. That caused him to fall even deeper to the dark side.

Ever since with this encounter, Rey can't find herself to find her strength to do this, even with the Force guiding, in her words and actions. "Did you still regret the things you have done in the past?"

The ghost man laughed and nodded his head up and down. She gazed herself on his scar and his overall facial features. Clearly and mindfully, the resemblance. Without hesitation he spoke, bitterly. "Yes, not even the Force is for me that time. The code Order 66 began and killing over the whole Jedi council, even I slaughtered all younglings."

"Yes, you did. But in the end you were with the light and made peace with it, with the help of your son." She saw Anakin's lips pressed tightly, looking like a child who was found guilty of taking something. Anakin wasn't proud of being with the dark side and was saved by the mercy of his son.

In return, Anakin smiled. "He was a young man when I met him, with such courage and determination in facing his own father to the death. He was a better replacement for the Emperor, for me."

Rey paused in her thoughts, but still remained silent as Anakin's smile subdues, turning into a serious expression tracing his face and his scar. The mighty and fallen eyes beamed to her eyes as if she's watching her own eyelids. The ghost man sighed, opening his lips, speaking. "I made peace with the Light, not because my son and my pride wants it, nor the works of betrayal of the Emperor made me to suffer great peace in the Light. It is me. Not the Darth Vader, who killed hundreds or thousands of innocence in cold blood. The real me, with innocence and love towards Padme."

Sensing the sadness and conflict, she felt the same way and sensed it to someone else. A familiar memory whisper, flowed to her ears giving her chills and fear engulfed her. _Let the past die, kill it if you had to_. Those words, were the last words she expected to hear from. She stared at Anakin, believing the fact that his grandson was haunting her mind like he did after the encounter at the throne room with Snoke. "When the Force has its own way, it will be its way?"

"Absolutely." Anakin smiled, in response. "You cannot resist the pull when you are being pulled or tempted from the dark side or the light. My grandson fails to understand that."

The mention of the word, grandson, made Rey to shudder uncomfortably and clasped her hands together like she was ready to sock his own face when he will be nearby this place, which can be impossible. "He is stubborn to realize that, he has no longer the light in him. He killed everything he loves and trusts. His own father, and he struck your own son and his uncle, down."

"Yes, just like me." Anakin spoke gently, his voice is calm as wind with a hint of regret but with determination. "I did many things worse than him, but that didn't stop us from hoping that something will happen."

With those words, Rey frowned in slight anger, and it was burning in her chest and body. As she saw it in her own eyes, Kylo Ren wanted her to rule with him and she refused. She knew that the light in him already snuffed out, seeing that he wanted to rule and to destroy. "Every action has its consequences, if Ren will realize that he may live, I can care less. He is the top enemy of the Resistance."

"And the last heir of the Mighty Skywalker blood, if he dies our kind will be wiped away from the galaxy. The name Skywalker and Solo will be no more." Anakin replied, crossing his arms as his Jedi robes still rounded his body perfectly. Then he looks at her, watching her closely. "You have pride and hate in your heart, it can tempt you."

She slouched her shoulders, showing her cluelessness as she could be. "Well I think it's just my confidence about him begging for mercy when I bested him. I cannot say I hate him, he is my enemy."

"No." Anakin's gaze slowly turned dark and far darker Rey has ever seen in a human's face. "There is something else, you are a strong Jedi. But in your heart, the Sith's ways are beneath there clawing their way to the top."

"I am a Jedi." Rey spoke immediately, defending her own self from Anakin's observations and looking. She was somewhat insulted by the choice of words Anakin chose, especially on the Sith. The Jedi order had already vanished from the galaxy and she assumed that the Sith as well. "I was trained by your son the Jedi way, to embrace the dark side."

"Only to embrace it, and not to destroy it. Look around this place, Rey." His head tilted from left to right, watching every detail of the Takodona's dense forest and trees, engulfing every inch of the forest. Rey followed her eyes watching the Takodona's forest as well. "In every ways of life, there is always darkness, fear, hate and anger. These are the main core for the Dark side to tempt you, as well as compassion. Beware Rey, the Sith can rise from the ashes without you knowing it."

"Haven't you destroyed the Sith once and for all?" Rey questioned him, speaking out what is best from her mind. Questions clouded her mind from her memories. "We all heard about the chosen one prophecy as he himself can destroy the Sith."

Anakin, in turn, smiled sadly. Realizing the fact that his prophecy was already part of the legend, and he fulfilled it without even a trace of conscious. "I did. My Masters, both Master Windu and Master Qui-Gon, they all believed that I will end the Sith from the Republic. Because of that, Obi Wan wanted me to be his Padawan."

At the mention of the name, Rey's eyes perked up from the ground and stared at Anakin with more intense look with a bounce of excitement. "You knew Obi Wan Kenobi."

"For the most of my youth. I did." Anakin replied, smiling from his memory of his old friend. The one who cut off his arms and legs, the one he killed on the Death Star, also the one whom he carried him when he was unconscious in the enemy ship. The one who trained him and the reason he became stronger. "Obi Wan was there from my childhood to my adulthood. Trained me as the Jedi he ever wished for. He was wise, cunning and also cocky for some occasions. Took the Jedi way too seriously, and eventually paid for it."

Smiles escaped her lips, from knowing one step details about the man she needs to know. "Maz said that Obi Wan Kenobi was the first thing that Luke saw in me when he saw me for the first time. I asked her about him, and she said I have to find it out myself"

"I guess I can do the same to you. Let you to discover about my former Master by your own." The Force ghost replied as he waved his hands in front of her. "It can save you from yourself and your downfall."

Rey grumbled in response, she was already troubled in helping the Resistance, finding her right crystals for her lightsaber, defeating the First Order, and now her task is to learn everything about a dead man. "Why can't you just tell me? I have many things to worry about."

"Impatience. I see." Anakin observed with a slight smile on his face, tearing the serious motion away from the picture. "You are stubborn for everything, and strong. But be careful for the temptation of the dark side. You have nothing to blame but yourself."

Rey turned to his direction, seeing that he was slowly fading away into the thin air. She pressed her lips together, knowing that more questions will invade her mind tonight and days to come. She exhaled a large breath, letting all of her doubts away.

Chewie made it outside, giving her a furry hug that almost made her ribs to crack from the tightness of the Wookie's hug. "Good to see you too, Chewie."

The Wookie nodded his head before moaning some words to Rey. Rey twitched her eyebrows, from his words in confusion and disbelief in the Wookie's words. "What? Finn? You haven't seen him returned."

A nod from the Wookie gave her a clear answer. Rey feared the worst. Her friend was gone, and she has no clue of finding his lone friend and have no idea where to start looking for him. She guessed that the First Order found him and began to drag him back from Takodona to their fleet.

Another guess that, he may be killed in the attack run and his body was never found. She gasped, covering her mouth hoping to the Force that it did not happen. "Focus Rey. You can save Finn, there is still time." She scolded herself.

The last guess was him, getting lost in the Takodona forest. But that would be impossible, knowing that Finn literally ran from the Falcon to Maz's Cantina back and forth for at least 4 times. Therefore, he has no doubt of finding the Falcon again and got lost into the woods. Rey wasn't convinced of her guesses and her third guess sold her more.

She turned to Chewie as they began to head to the cockpit. "Ready the Falcon, get her up and running. We'll find Finn."

She hopes to do so.

TWO DAYS LATER

Darkness.

Sounds of water and current entered his ears, as he flinched at the contact of stones at his back. Pricking him, somewhat touching his back rib. He snorted for air, still his eyes closed and was listening from the sounds around him.

The cool wind blew in his cheeks, he shivered from the contact. As tight and eerie aura clouded his mind making him to wonder more about it. It was difficult to think, difficult to remember and it was difficult to ponder on every memory in his mind.

The pain on his head was still excruciating and he pressed his teeth together and hissed from his head injury. The sounds around him was still the same, and his eyes were filled with darkness as he remained on his position with his eyes closed.

He began to think, what was going on. It was difficult for him to do so, and everything he remembers, it was unclear and disturbing for him to remember. He can see a man's face, whose face is not visible through the light, holding his hands to him and touching his cheek. Another woman, shorter than him, held his hands and engulfed him into a hug. These were some images he can see unclear, and as well some disturbing memories but it is quite unclear for his sight.

Slowly moving his hand, he trembles upon moving it. As he felt his bones and his muscles moving in every direction of its nerve and blood. He gasped during the motion, feeling the movement rattled through his head, clenching his fist and opens them again.

At last, he opens his eyes, with such immediate motion he began blinking few more times, more than he could ever count of. His eyes watches the sky, the night sky. Stars glowing below him and the dark sky was looking at him. There was nothing to see but the night sky.

He drew his hand, raising it and began to touch his face slightly. Running his hands through his cheek and his forehead, feeling every detail of his head. Making him to think hard, but failing to recognize and to do so.

Moving his body to stand up, the excruciating pain from his head jolts up and made him to hiss again in unexplainable manner. He placed his hand where the pain was still piercing in his head. He removed it and by the help of the night sky, he saw the blood smearing all over his hand.

"Jeez." A surprised voice snapping his actions, as hand remained in the air and still looking at his blood stained hands. He turned to the owner of the voice, seeing a black dud in brown uniform or jacket or some kind he cannot recognize. "I was hoping you were dead. "

He was a bit offended by his words, by frowning in response. He shook his head as he struggled to stand. Something inside him was digging inside his head, screaming about the guy in front of him. He took time to stand up unto his feet, fighting over the dizziness, headaches and as well as the sharp pain in his wound. "Where am I?"

"Somewhere in this riverbank." The dark man replied, still looking at him with such seriousness in his face, and with a look of a threatening man. He found himself backing a little, ignoring the sharp and excruciating pain in his head, wanting it to smack to lessen it. "I saved your life, probably you owe me from killing you."

He raised his eyebrows in confusion, still trying to balance himself from his own dizziness, making him to see the world upside down. "Killing you? I can't recall me killing you."

"You didn't kill me. Not yet." The man said, with a shrug. "But maybe you will since I am defenseless and all, can you please hold it?"

"I don't get it." He spoke in response out of confusion and need of every answers he need to finish his inner searching inside his mind. "I'm sorry, what are you talking about." Due to his dizziness, he sat down on a large rock formation, out looking the night sky and as well as the riverbank.

Finn scoffed at him, shaking his head in a mocking way. "Look, I know you have many questions and plans to murder me in my sleep, but I need something to signal Rey something big, because I've been waiting for her for days, trying to build a biggest bonfire but sadly I cannot light the fire." Finn stared at the night sky and mumbles. "Now it's two days straight."

That explains the large wood formation few meters away from the river bank, he looked around and also saw some failed and burnt firewood, big enough for someone up in the sky to see it. He motioned to his stomach as his angry stomach grumbled, and Finn heard it loud and clear. "Sadly I cannot see any results."

Finn noticed him fidgets his abdomen, with grumbling noises. "I thought monsters didn't have to be hungry. Well sadly, some of the waterproof edible food in my pouch were the only thing that kept me going, I left nothing for you."

He can only nod in response, but before speaking again with some questions. "You had a name?"

"You once called me Traitor." Finn replied, still his mood is cold as ice in his voice and his stare. He had difficulty in controlling his temper in the man who almost killed him and ruined his jacket. But to his surprise, he saw him calmly nodding in his response, his cold mood soften a bit. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Traitor." He responded, moving both of his hands, covering his head altogether. Finn looked at him in confusion and curiosity. He turned away, trying to think of any alternatives of solving his exact problems right now. Two days and Rey haven't found him yet. He curses knowing that the water flowed pushed the communicator away from him earlier. Now with no alternate communication, he had no hope left.

Finn turned to him, giving him a death glare, but stopped after seeing him remained calm like nothing ever happened in his whole life. "You do remember you called me a traitor in Starkiller?"

He shrugged. "Well that's the name you called yourself earlier." He smiled smugly, while Finn scowled and cannot remove the glare away from him. "Starkiller? You do have some interesting stories, what is Starkiller?"

"Stop playing games, Kylo Ren." Finn snapped and loudly exclaimed in unholy voice of anger and hate in his heart. "I know you are playing along, enough of this."

"Who's Klauren? Is that right? Klo Ren? Kylo Ren?" Finn stopped in his tracks, and the first thing came into his kind that he was really playing games with him. He turned around, expecting to see a smug smirk from Ren's lips but in his surprise, Ren's expression shook him over.

It was an expression of an innocent looking man, with no clue what was entire going on with his life and Finn's. He pressed his lips together, trying to concentrate on thinking what to do next in his words of actions. _He can't be forgetting what he did, and who he was."_

Turning over, watching him quirked his eyebrows, in waiting and instantly staring at his wound on his head. It was still bleeding and it looked awful and painful if he had it in his head. _Maybe. Maybe he can be._ With a look, he responded. "Nobody, just a random name slipped in my mouth."

"Okay, I'll forget about Klauren. Or Kylo Ren." He spoke innocently, in response making Finn to shake his head in irritation and annoyance of his questions. "Why are you still here Traitor? Isn't dangerous here?"

"I have a name…" He stopped mid-sentence, part of him doesn't want him to mention his name and knowing the advantage of it, making him to fight for the Resistance or to take him out of the picture, to deal with the First Order themselves. "It's complicated, plus it's much easier for my friend to find me in the air than in the damn forest."

Something happened that Finn never expected to see ever again especially from the Resistance worst enemy. A smile. He saw Ren smiling widely, closing his eyes and snickered. "Fair point, tell me about this friend of yours, Traitor."

"Finn." His blood runs cold at his mocking words, even he knew it was the name Ren called him in the Starkiller, and he will be especially defected from the First Order. "My name is Finn, not Traitor."

"Finn." He repeated. "Nice meeting you, Finn. Sadly I cannot know or remember my name or everything around me except your attitude and your coming friend, if that friend is coming."

Finn stopped and trying to think of the decisions that he needs to make. Tell him that his name is Ben Solo and he will be a walking target with the First Order and the Resistance. Finn knew this. Or help him finding and setting up his new name again and can go unscathed. With a massive choice, he picked one. "Then feel free to remember your name."

He sighed in response, and it was a desperate sigh when Finn spoke those words. Finn remembered the first time he met Poe, and giving him name from FN-2187 to Finn and that changed his life forever. From a distressed Stormtrooper to a Rebel. "I tried everything, and anything to remember in the past few minutes, but I can't"

"I'm glad you didn't" Finn grumbled under his breath, making sure he didn't hear it loud and clear. He then cleared his throat and responds. "Then give me a name that nobody will recognize that name."

"I don't know." He spoke in hopeless manner in his eyes and mouth. "Matt? That can be my name."

Finn scoffed and shook his head. "Matt is too usual name."

He placed his hand in his bleeding head and giving it a wipe, then turned to the river and washed it using his hands, giving a cool sensation in his head. Finn ponders on the giving. _Some of the name doesn't fit him or anything too usual for them to recognize._

"Okay, how about James?" he heard him speaking near the river, still washing his injured head from the blood spilling around his face. Finn sighed in response, clearly not agreeing with the name as well.

"Too usual also." Finn pressed his hands together and trying to think of anything that he can call him, especially to forget that he was Kylo Ren in the first place. He focused on the K and R letters and trying to form something out of it.

"Frank?"

"Nah." Finn waved his hands in retaliation, also knowing it was a usual name and it can be identified as a lie when the First Order or Resistance questions him.

"Jake?"

"Absolutely no." Finn relied, still thinking anything that matches the K and R combination of a name, because it fits him so much. _Kacper? Konnor, wait wasn't that supposed to be C instead of K? Kareem? Maybe Karl? Kasper?_ Without thinking, he spoke. "What about Kyrie? Or Karl?"

He saw his face gleamed up, when he gave his suggestion while cleaning his head wound, making Finn to roll his eyes in frustration. "Kyrie. I liked that."

"Probably for the best, so that your mother cannot recognize nor your comrades." He spoke lowly, but loud enough for him to hear it by his both ears.

Ren or Kyrie, like he wanted to be called in his mindless ways, his mouth shaped into an O, as Finn slapped himself in mentioning his mother, General Leia Organa. "I have a mother, I always thought of her dying when I was a child."

"Well she was alive, Kyrie." The name Kyrie was unusual for him, especially from the man both Kylo Ren and Ben Solo, and picking this name far from what he always known is new to his mouth. He is still has darkness inside of him, Finn knew it. "I'm going to rest. Find your own space, Kyrie."

"Nice to meet you too, Finn." He smiled before finding his own space near the river bank and sat down in the rock formation. Finn found himself lying on his made bed from the tree branch and used his jacket as his pillow, when he took it off from his shoulders.

He sighed, knowing the risk of keeping Ren alive, as the name Kyrie was foreign to him. But he hopes for the new beginning for him, if Finn himself is willing to forgive and forget everything this man have done.

 _Where is Rey, when you need her?_

 **Sorry for the lateness, I grew restless of being in vacation everybody and I had literally no time in writing this chap, hope you liked it. It's 3:30 am here, and I need sleep.**

 **Choosing a right fake name for Ben Solo was a pain in my ass, and I have to ask few friends anything that fits Kylo Ren. So I began to stick with the K and R combination and searched through the internet. But none of them worked though.**

 **One friend (A Reylo Shipper), came to me and said that I should combine the name Kylo and Rey's name together, which is terrible at first. Starting with Kyrey was bad enough, and the first name popped in my head was Kyrie, still pronounced the same as Kyrey. So that's why I came up with the name, if it sucks tell me I might change it in the future chapters.**

 **PS: I'm not a Boston Celtics fan, but damn I really admire Kyrie Irving. Even though he came from Cleveland (My rooting team)**


	8. Chapter 8

FIRST ORDER FLEET

They've done it. The despair and the worrisome of the eyes of his comrades was clearly shown in the time of the fearsome tragedy. Forcing them to watch their new and powerful Supreme Leader's fighter caught on fire and fell to the ground.

The silence in the main room was deafening to someone's ears, and in his moment of triumph. He succeeded, and without any trace of witnesses and lookouts. All the blame will go through the Resistance lone pilot, and Hux will have no trouble in snuffing him out.

"It's done, Supreme Leader." A certain pilot spoke through his intercom, savoring every words and victory in his new era. He would reign the galaxy, without anyone in his way. Working with Kylo Ren was never a pleasure for Hux, now the Force didn't even tried to save him to his last breath.

Hux turned to his intercom, with a pleasing smile across his face. Words cannot explain his domination and rule over the First Order. "Good, now we have snuffed him out, we will be no longer serve this tyrant."

"Then the throne is all yours, Supreme Leader." The title, Supreme Leader, was very unusual to his ears and as well as his tongue. He never thought that he would extend his position from General and the Leader of the Stormtrooper program to the one who leads the entire First Order. A smile escapes his lips, and now he will make sure that his title will be heard in public.

He heard someone calling his name, who was trembling in fear and power. Hux stared at that officer with massive respect and control over him, gesturing him to stand up but he refused. "Supreme Leader Kylo Ren has been terminated and killed in battle."

Noticing other people around the room, followed this distressed man and began to kneel down on the dark floor of the room. All of the officers were there, from Admiral, lieutenants, and as well as the Commanders of this very ship were all in attendance of in short notice. Hux stared at them with disbelief, as more workers barged into the room, doing the same. He felt his heart ran like a horse.

"So I've heard and seen, the Resistance were very consistent in weakening our forces by destroying him first." Hux played his best 'surprised' and 'distressed' look on the control's officer. The man nodded in response, but still he had his knees on the ground. "What are you doing?"

The man looked up with fear glinting in his own eyes, watching at Hux intently, and respectfully. Trying his best not to do anything stupid, in his presence. "You are the last living high ranking officer of this Order, and one of our last leader. May the Force guide and protect our new Supreme Leader!"

"LONG LIVE THE SUPREME LEADER!"

"LONG LIVE THE SUPREME LEADER!"

"OUR SUPREME LEADER WILL GUIDE US TO OUR VICTORY!"

Now crowned as the Supreme Leader of the massive regime that will conquer the rest of the galaxy and of the universe, Hus remained his seriousness and determination in his face and he knew that in matter time, he will lead them to victory. The other ranking people, were still on their knees declaring and praising their new leader to lead them. No longer the Head of the Stormtroopers program, and the General of the weapons system, he needs to invent new plans and new order to the regime.

"Supreme Leader, you must address to all the members and workers of the First Order and make this place and power to them in full display in public." One member who had a rank of Admiral, spoke while he was standing on his knees, with his face looking at the floor.

He nodded, then gestured them to stand up. "Very well, I am expecting that all of you will rise up and sacrifice everything you have for the sake of this regime to continue. I will not afford this new regime will fall again like it was from Former Supreme Leader Snoke, to Kylo Ren."

"Yes Supreme Leader." The chorused, giving him a salute out of respect.

"Then, command all squads, troopers and all other people in under this very Order to gather in the pavement, make sure that they are all in attendance." Hux commanded with authority and power in his voice, with no regret that he was the one responsible for the supposed death of his arch nemesis. The people whom he ordered, saluted before turning his heel and leave the room.

Walking towards the cockpit, where front window was out looking the dark space in front of them, Hux eyes fixed towards the dark and deep space. He knew that his plan of mutiny will just come along with no trouble and fault from Kylo Ren himself. He watched the planet Tatooine from afar. "Pilot our fleet away from this system, and we will make a move towards the rise of our order."

"But sir, what about our current task of finding a specific bounty hunter from Tatooine?" An officer at his left asked, and was still trembling in reverence.

Hux, still staring at the Tatooine system, glanced at him using the reflection of the glass window of the Star Destroyer. "Then change course, I am leading the First Order. Change course and pilot our fleet to Naboo."

"Why to pursue this course of action sir?"

He crossed his arms altogether, walking away from the cockpit of his own fleet. He turned to his front and gave them no eye contact but with orders and response. "The Senator of Naboo is interested of calling a truce in our behalf. In weeks' time, Naboo will be our second operative base and all of the Senate will stand in Naboo."

Without any word or noise, he left the room with his own vendetta to spare. Naboo will be their best bet in terms of base operations, especially on how great the support from the Naboo senate was. Hux remembers the Starkiller base planet, and was destroyed by the Resistance with ease. With a swift thinking and clever thoughts, a plan rose to his mind of using Naboo for the Resistance. Hux felt brilliant and praised his own plans and tactics for the Resistance.

This wasn't a dream. It was a nightmare. Kyrie/Ben staggers on his back, feeling the shame in his sleep. The intimidation of the darkness and his sleep was already bad enough for his own sake, sweating and panting on the ground, with his eyes close.

He knew he was at his sleep, peacefully but the image of his dreams were haunting him but he cannot recognize it. He forgot everything he had, almost as nothing and full of innocence. Images of a old man caressing his cheek, but he cannot see his face. He looked around, and it was dark.

Dark.

Cold.

Haunting him to his own soul, and watching over the bottom, he saw a debris. He trembled, he couldn't believe that he was near edge of falling into a hundred meters feet deep pit, and into the unknown. His fear made him to jiggle and his teeth to chatter, watching the old man walking towards him. Clearing the space between the two men.

Pain and discomfort entered his head, digging him straight to his skull, snapping his eyes open. The sky's darkness and cloudy sunrise greets him into the morning, looking like it was a ghost staring him on his own eyes. The morning air blew in his cheek, giving him the warmth and the coolness of the morning temperature. _No doubt it will be hot few hours later._

Stirring his way on the ground, trying to close his eyes and to fall asleep again lie it was a matter of life and death. Something in his mind that has been crawling inside for the whole night. It was calling him to let it out, but he cannot.

He felt like this before. Something in his mind clicks this feeling. Feeling of sadness and pain. Isolation and disaster of this whole being. Swaying those thoughts, he sat up, concentrating on anything he can remember and to discover. He wrapped his arms around his legs, using his both legs to cover his head, downwards.

There is something. He was someone, and something. He felt it and somewhat ignited in his veins and bones. He knew it was something, and someone. Even Finn, was silent. He must've know something and kept his mouth shut. Or he was clueless as him.

"Kyrie." He breathed out his fake name, sounding foreign in his own tongue and his own mouth. That would be his name, for a while until something or that someone reveals all truth to him, no matter how painful it is. "Kyrie. That's not my name. I've felt it, and through my dreams."

He glanced at Finn, still sleeping with his jacket covered around his chest. He must have any knowledge of his own struggles and

 _You're mine._

 _You know yourself, Kylo Ren_

His head, it kills him slowly and much unbarring than he ever realizes it. The voice, it was bold and strong, it taught him one thing. Fear gripped his soul, hearing the name. It was very familiar and very scary to himself. The strange feeling of guilt and fear engulfed him like a blanket. A certain name pops into his mind was the Kylo Ren, guy.

He knew without thought that he might be someone with no regrets when it terms of forgetting in the past. Something beyond than the name was bugging him. He felt the connection between himself and someone, Kylo Ren. Who was he to know?

 _It's pointless, you know that._

Pointless? Of what? Trying anything made him to think there is hope beneath of all delusions and nightmares that will be with him until eternity. Without him noticing, that eerie voice moved on from his mind like a wind breathing to his ear.

He thought it was over, maybe it left him once and for all. All he need to do is ask of anything that can save him. Taking every step closer in finding his own self again, for the second time. It would be more painful, and without even thinking, he decided to go deeper. _Who am I?_

 _A monster._

This time, the eerie voice changed into more feminine, bolder and with venom on its voice. He pressed his lips altogether, trying to hide his own pressure and emotions. Two words circled his mind like a loop on repeat. Monster.

Glancing at the small tree branch in front of him. It was something in his mind clicking him in temptation of hitting his own head with it. It needs to stop, he needs to gather everything slowly but surely. He can't even remember his own family and his own name, except the name 'Kyrie' which Finn gave it to him.

The ray of morning light caught his attention, and it was flashing straight in his eyes. He shook his head remembering with some weird interaction with someone sounds very familiar and very promising to his sake. 

_Your hope is gone. Ben Solo is dead._ The same female voice digs in, causing him to shiver in every word he could hear against his own mind and thinking. His thought wandered around the name Ben Solo. _Whoever that guy is, I might have dealt with him in the pass or maybe he is my enemy._

 _You killed him. Ben Solo was dead, and it was you who did it._

He, couldn't believe his own ears. He was a murderer then, blast everything. He couldn't believe he killed someone name Ben, whoever this guy was. Nothing came to his mind, after trying to dig it searching of the name Ben Solo in his memory. Sadly, all he can see is darkness and unclear memories. Blast it all.

"You awake?" His head leveled up, heading towards his right position, watching Finn rubbing his eyes and hair. His jacket was on the ground, and he assumed correctly that he used it for sleeping. He continued to watch him, groggily wore his jacket back to cover his black shirt, yawning from the morning breeze of this planet. "Man, I missed this weather."

Without thought or agenda, Finn makes his way to him with sour expression clear on his face. "I assumed you remembered every memory that was lost, right?"

"No, something inside me was telling to dig deeper into my feelings and memories to find them." He smiled sadly, but the sour expression of Finn's face never fades, he pushed his hand to his hair while trying to figure out in his own memory loss. "It's all worthless, so much for trying."

"Pretty sure you gave up." Finn muttered under his own breath, still had his own anger and discomfort in helping the Resistance enemy. He saw him shaking his head, with hopelessness in his eyes. He always saw him in power with brooding confidence and strength. "Look, whatever you need to know the past, I'm afraid I cannot answer them all or anything that matters."

He glanced at him, wide eyed. "Does everything really matters to you?"

Finn grumbled in response, not liking the witty comeback from his own enemy, but remained quiet and bit his tongue before he insults something further that includes himself being Kylo Ren.

"Something bothers you?" Finn shrugged, heading to the river bank, planning to wash his hands and face clean. He wouldn't dare to bathe in the river around this times. Finn saw him remained in his position, before wrapping his hands around the crook of his legs.

Finn knew the risks of taking him to the Resistance and his mother, especially when he was as innocent as a mindless person. General Organa wouldn't risk losing more members and leaving the Resistance in jeopardy. But preventing him from the First Order, will be a better choice to switch the tide and the Resistance will win this war with Rey.

Glancing back at the man once known as, Kylo Ren or Ben Solo. He sighed, still with choices he cannot decide it by his own. _Force, whoever you are, I need your help dealing with this man._ He wouldn't repeat it again, hoping that the Force will guide him in his own problems.

Groaning in frustration, in realizing that Rey didn't find them overnight. Finn's only guess was she left Takodona, back to the Resistance base or she went some crazy missions Maz send her just for Jedi completion. All what they need is a ship to get them out of here.

"So." Finn heard his voice, standing up and stretched his legs. "Traitor. Mind to ask what are your next course of action? Ever since your friend didn't arrive to pick us up."

"Correction. To pick me up and probably when she sees you, she might leave you right here right now with a lightsaber stab on your face. Second, don't call me Traitor, my name is Finn." He countered after hearing the name that insults him every time he hears it. With a savage grin forming in his mouth, he tried not to look at him and his 'burned alive' look.

Sure enough, he saw Ren quirked his brow but looked down, eyeing the ground with mixed feeling surrounded his face. Finn couldn't help but to snicker just to piss him more and more. He saw him slouching his shoulders before walking to the river bank five meters away from him.

Unbeknownst to Finn. Kyrie, or whatever his name is, took it seriously. His hand shivers as he dipped his hand towards the water, eyeing his own reflection of his face. The huge gash on his wound was still present on his forehead, but he focused on his scar on his right eye.

It was long and looks unpleasant, showing the line as it drew from his face through his neck. He touched it, tracing his face and his neck, feeling every inch of his scar. He wonders who gave it to him. "I have a scar."

Finn's head perked up from his position, wiping his head dry using his shirt. He quietly muttered some few words in his mouth, but low enough for his forced companion to hear him. "I don't recall seeing you earning that scar."

"Technically I didn't earned it, Finn or whoever you are." He sat up but remains his position near the river, watching his own reflection on the course of his own sake. "I saw this scar before, I've felt it. What is this feeling?"

The distressed Stormtrooper shrugged in response, trying his best to resist the temptation in keeping his mouth shut. He knew better than this, and Rey should have been here instead of him.

"I wish I can't say the same." Finn sighed again, trying his own luck to think how to get off this planet. His thoughts always leads him astray in some situations, he never realized that he would wake up one day, with the man who almost killed him in battle and surprisingly had amnesia, or whatever he calls it. "Look, I never thought of this but I felt the same. Being left out without any knowledge of anything what the hell is happening around me."

He saw him, turned his head heading his own eyes to his. "Really? I guess you can help me to deal with these things bugging in my head."

Without thinking, the Stormtrooper shrugged his thoughts and focused on his questions, he wasn't best on every choices he had to make. Like leaving the First Order on his own, this is also his great choice to make. "Okay, just keep those thoughts in yourself. When we are done with these war, I can tell you anything."

"You're at war? How come I don't feel like it? No explosions or bombs or something?"

Right on cue, an explosion rang from his back. Finn ducked into the ground covering his head from any nearby collisions from the above. He watched his companion did the same near the fallen branch few meters away from him. "Speak of the devil."

"Now what the hell was that?"

Finn gritted his teeth, grabbing his side back and placing it in his shoulder before turning to his feet and began to break out into a full blown sprint. "This cannot be the First Order!"

His companion followed him with hesitation from behind and without clue what to do next. Another round of explosions blew into the ground few meters from them, as Finn almost stumbles to the ground, but his balance kept him in place.

"What are talking about? First Order? What about them?"

He gave him a glare in his questions, shutting his companion up before he can blurt any questions. He stared at the river from the distance, and giving him the hint in reaching Maz's cantina. He turned to his panting companion. "Look, Ren. These are the people you wouldn't wanna mess with."

The man in black, raised his eyebrows but cannot stop his panting in exhaustion. "Wait did you just call me Ren? I thought-"

"Your name was Kyrie. Sorry about that, I'm not used about these new name basis." Instead of shutting him up, his expression turned into more serious in terms of curiosity. Finn knew he screwed something up, from the start.

"New name basis?"

Finn remained silent. But he wasn't expecting what he will do next.

His companion, grabbed him from his shoulder tightening his grip, making Finn to attempt to push him away from his grip. "You knew my name. Why didn't you say so from the start?!"

Finn sighed in frustration and in surrender, there is no point but to tell him further. But something in his mind clicks in not to tell the truth. "Look, we have more problems than your name to deal with. So why can't we go along and maybe we can bust our butts away from trouble."

"Tell me the truth." He replied sternly and with a threatening look, giving Finn a step back. He was looking at the same man who faced him almost to death in Starkiller base in Lightsaber fight. But then his face softens and as well as his voice. "Please?"

His face smoldered, watching him closely. But Finn nodded out of respect of his wish and his request. He watched his companion's hands left his shoulders. He looked at his boots, thinking really hard what to do next dealing with him, especially his name. Lie is the only answer to his problem, without much pain and guilt to him but only to suffer the consequences later.

"Matt." He lied, marking the guilt in his mind and he was not proud of it. But the risk was all he need when it comes to the galaxy's future and to avoid further destruction. "Other than that, I don't know much."

To his surprise, he landed a fist in his face. Knocking him squarely in his head, landing to the ground with his arms breaking his fall on the ground. Finn gnashed his teeth, quickly standing up punching back at his companion's face. The taste of metallic blood came to his tongue, wiping his cheek. The black dressed man, remained on the ground staring at him like someone he feared of.

"You lie! You knew all about me before all of these." He heard him cried like he was betrayed by someone. _Like you killed Han, your father._

Without regrets, Finn turned around to face his own direction. As he took a couple of steps, he heard his name drawn from his companion's lips. "What?"

"I really need your help, I felt it. You knew not only my name but my past."

"You called me liar and never believed it like what your mother believes to be, you never learned yourself and maybe never will be."

He watched Ren slowly nodded but then responded with such words. "Maybe you're right, I may never be like my mother, and like whoever she was leaving me here to figure everything on my own. But I will never stop myself from trying."

"Says the guy who can't even remember his mother's name and his own name." Finn snapped back, clenching his fist wanting to strike him again on the ground but fought against it.

"I just don't trust like everyone."

"Really? Look I'm sorry about all of this bantha crap and other things, but these trusting things needs to stop for a while, we are in the middle of a war. If I cannot leave this planet, my friend will be good as gone from who knows what people!" He screamed in anger and hate, kicking a large pile of stones near his direction. The stones barely hitting his foot when collided. He felt guilty a little, especially giving him two fake names, and knowing that the second one was a lie.

Shaking his head, Finn left him in the middle of the forest and began to venture to Maz's cantina alone, with him watching Finn left him and walking deeper to the forest alone. "Who am I? Was my name really Kyrie? Or Matt? Or Damn it!"

He picked up a stone and threw it into the riverbank, hitting other stones in process. Looking back, Finn was already gone deeper into the woods. He stood up from the ground, clutching his own head and hair, trying to rip his whole head apart in his own strength.

He felt the lie in his veins trying to tearing him apart into a large pieces of distrust and agony. He always felt it, but he cannot see it and to know it. There is something about it. Even with his situation, there is still greater trouble in between.

 _Kylo Ren and Ben Solo. Voices in my head only reveals someone named Kylo Ren, and I killed Ben Solo. Who are these people?_ Growling in fruitless results of his massive mind invasion with his all might, but every time he do so he could feel the exhaustion.

A large booming explosion rang to his ear, made his hands to shake in fright and surprise. Without any conscious, the repeating sounds finds themselves on his ear and his mind. He saw himself, someplace dark and he saw himself in blur, sitting. Explosions of any blur events happening around him was deafening, he cannot tell where he is.

He snapped himself from his thoughts, hearing another round of explosions boomed near his area. He felt the vibration on the ground, sending chills through his spine. Engulfed himself with fear, as something inside of him attacks.

It was like a memory or like nightmare, he screamed in slight pain of a memory and agony. The sounds of booming sounds around his environment was on his brain, in repeat, prolonging his own agony and distress of every vibration of the sound.

Loud distorted noise covered his own ears, he tried to walk it off trying to balance himself from the grip of agony in his mind and brain. Hearing the steps of his own feet, his heart beat pumping loudly expecting something big will happen again. He took in oxygen slowly trying to calm himself, as snippets of memories slightly disturbs his eyes.

He was about to faint, the sight around him nauseates him. He tried not to close his eyes, hoping no more loud distress sound around his environment will and to his ear point, or else his heart will explode to smithereens. Without another step, another sound of explosion, booms.

Gasping for air, Finn recalled the direction towards Maz's new cantina, which he knew It was underground and there was supposed to be an entrance around here. There was only one clue to see, the TIE fighter's wreckage near the river, and it will indicate the entrance. "I have much worse day than this."

He wiped some sweat forming on his forehead. By then, he slightly remembered the confusion on Ren's face when he shed some lies from his own mouth. "Screw him."

Hoping for some miracle, he almost saw the Millennium Falcon landing to his direction and Rey would appear on the midst of the terrible day.

"Okay Finn, don't lose your mind, don't lose it." He let out a sigh in relief upon spotting the downed fighter near the river, but the next he expected was not welcoming from what he heard of. Screams of terror and fright was so loud, that Finn has to stop from his tracks, knowing one thing that can cause those noises. "The First Order obviously."

"I'm afraid not, child."

Finn looked around, seeing Maz emerged from her hiding, with blasters on her hands. She gave Finn a surprised look in her face. "What is happening? I thought the First Order returned into another attack?"

Maz glanced around before answering to Finn's question in distress and in stillness. "Pirates. They must have tracked me here."

"Pirates?" Finn repeated. "You mean like Han Solo's acquaintances earlier?"

"Han was a smuggler. These beasts were much different to deal with, child." Maz responded as she drew her hand in her own blaster, then watched him with more intense look. "Your friend orbited the whole area several times yesterday, where have you been."

"Long story." Finn replied, scratching his head. "What's the deal with the pirates?"

Maz sighed. She glanced on her blaster, as she gave it to Finn's hands. Finn hands touched the blaster as she gestured him to follow her. "I'll tell you on the way."

Hearing a shout in foreign language, Finn and Maz ducked into cover in a nearby debris, covering them from any blaster hits from pirates. Finn raised his weapon before taking three shots, randomly avoiding the risks to be shot in the head.

Another round of blaster rampage emerges after the exchange. Finn covered his head from any sharp particles from having contact with his head. He raised his weapon and randomly fires around with little to no accuracy. A groan from the enemy side is audible, indicating he must have hit him by luck as the blaster fire ceases.

Using it as an advantage, Finn jumped from the debris and began shooting the alarmed and shocked pirate members. They were bunch of green and blue aliens, some are humans wearing in yellow vests and armor in their chests. He pulled the trigger to one pirate, and it landed on his chest. But it bounces off like a ball, completely deflecting the blast from him.

Finn gritted his lip together, learning that he should have shot the in the head, as the other pirate members began firing at his direction. Taking time to avoid and finding cover again, he spotted Maz, drawing another small blaster in her arsenal. He took cover into a nearby large rock, hearing Maz's blaster took off, diverting the attention. She shot one down, falling to the ground lifeless. Finn took another shot and successfully hit another pirate straight to the head. _Got you._ He cheered in his mind, as he aimed it to another pirate member.

Pulling the trigger, the blaster bolt landed straight to the head, narrowly avoiding the blaster proof vests that every one of them was wearing. The victim groaned in pained before dropping into the ground, lifeless. He glanced at Maz, evading lots of blaster bolts to her safety. "Maz, three more incoming!"

"I see it." Maz replied, as she threw an explosive to their enemy's direction. "Take cover!"

Finn obeyed, lowering his head and covering it using the both of his hand. The explosion cracked and boomed through the exact same location where Maz's explosive landed. Screams of victims of the explosives rattled his ears, some are flying into the air and landing lifelessly in the ground.

Maz gestured him to follow her in walking inside. Finn nodded, leaving the blaster wrecked large rock, clutching his blaster in the both of his arms. "So, what's the deal with these pirates?"

 **And I'll cut it here. After debating myself and talking to my writer friends and Star Wars fans, I decided to change Kylo Ren's fake name from Kyrie to Matt, because I find the Matt name more appealing after watching the Undercover thing on Youtube, which Kylo used the name Matt. But don't worry he will use the Kyrie one later. I'm done for, after three rewrites of this chapter.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I really apologize for the long wait and long no update. I recently suffered what every writer suffered, the writing block. Actually I had everything planned, sometimes I need to add some more scenes towards the story to prioritize the relationship of the characters.**

 **SW**

Bizarre, strange and even unusual. Those were in Poe's mind upon leaving his X wing fighter away from light speed. Watching as the stars and other particles from space came into view in front of him and his eyes, remembering the remorse in his face.

He had to admit, he never knew of the General's son. He saw him plenty of times when his father, Kes Dameron was in service to General Organa. Though and behold, he was there sitting alone in the dark, playing some sort of X wing pilot and humming some engine sounds by hmself. Poe couldn't help but to wonder and think.

This guilt is always in him, but losing someone's son was another story. He was there when his father was lying in his death bed, and even saw his mother closing both of her eyes and lifeless in his small teary eyes.

The Hoth system, one of the rebel bases of the Rebellion thirty years ago, before the Empire decided to strike back to them. He pushed some few buttons in his cockpit, hearing BB-8 beeps from the behind, knowing he must be at distress. "I'm fine, really."

BB-8 beeps again in binary, slightly nodding his head. "I know, Poe can take care of himself. I know he will, he has Rey with him." Poe shrugs in his cockpit, sighing not wasting a single second before turning his attention.

His droid beeps again. _Sure you do._

"What? Happy beeps, please BB-8." Poe pleaded, his eyes never left the cockpit. This is one hell of a day for him to register everything. Fighting alone with a dozen of TIE fighter who never laid not even a finger in his ship. Leaving two of his friends behind, respecting General's wishes for the survival of the Resistance.

He placed the commlink near his mouth, giving permission to enter the system itself. Hoth was still the same after the years passed. The whiteness and the ice was clearly visible from the atmosphere, differentiating from other planets he visited. "Attention, this is Commander Dameron. I am asking for full permission of entering the system without the disruption of the security droids."

"Poe, dear. You made it." Hearing Leia's voice made him to sigh in relief. Knowing if Leia was still alive, the resistance is still alive. Leia basically is the perfect embodiment of the whole rebellion thing. "Permission to enter the system granted, please feel free to apply your scarves and jackets upon entering.

"Thank you General." It is more like a confident response, especially coming from him. Moving his hands back to the cockpit, he pilot himself and the fighter inside and going deeper to the planet. Using the chance he got, he grabbed a spare scarf lying behind him before wrapping it around his neck. He heard his droid beeps again, in distress.

"Mhm-mm." Poe gestures himself, leaning backward waiting for the droid's beeps from binary. "Come on BB, it's not the cold here."

Feeling the breeze of the Hoth planet even inside the fighter already gives him chills from the cold air, giving him chills in his spine and legs. His eyes fixed at the cockpit, tightening his jacket's zipper upwards and as sell as his scarf around his neck, circling his jacket's collar completely.

He wonders about BB-8's condition ignoring the cold and blizzard running through his droid friend. The clouds shrouded the surface, marking every snowy surfaces looked the same as from the above.

Poe remembers his father's stories about the time he went to Hoth with the Rebellion, especially the near death escape of General Organa from Darth Vader's grasps. To a matter of fact, he can say his father was right. This is way above the condition for any hiding resistance to go low profile in Hoth.

BB-8 beeps, catching Poe's attention towards him. "How's hanging BB?" The droid shrugs but remained intact of his conversation to Poe. Beeping his response, Poe's mouth opened wide.

"What do you mean, you care about him?" Poe asked, as BB-8 shakes his head beeping in response. "Finn?"

BB-8 response in affirmative. Poe sighs knowing the friendship between these two men, including himself. Finn is someone had Poe's trust since the beginning. That grown friendship in much deeper between the two. _Was he falling for him?_ "Finn. Well I do. Why did you ask?"

His droid, remained silent for few moments, giving Poe a lot of time to think his relationship with Poe. Finn was always with Rey and always Rey. Clutching his chest, he felt the pang within, was that jealousy? He never considered himself as someone falling for a man, Fin was the exception by his choice.

Rey's interaction with Finn was different in his eyes, even though they often seen talking smack ad teasing each other. Then there is this girl, Rose whom Finn said that the first girl he ever kissed, in the lips. Poe shook his head, feeling the envy between these two girls and made him to think. _I should have accompanied him to Canto Bight._

BB-8 beeps after a moment of silence. Poe found himself frowning from BB-8's choice of words even those were binary. "What do you mean? I never left him out of nothing, it was General's commands."

The droid beeps again. Poe spotted the entrance of the hideout of the Resistance, with few people watching him from the gates. Intentionally ignoring BB-8's words, he maneuvered his fighter towards the entrance, welcomed by the sounds of Tauntauns.

Landing successfully, with few people coming over, checking his fighter's engine and any leaking from the fuel compartment. His mind was blank, and only one face drew his eyes. Finn, his friend. He had to admit, he cared enough that risked him to trust him in behalf the safety of the Resistance. Slowly, he took off his helmet, placing it in his hands.

"Poe!" A cheerful voice turned his attention all around, seeing a familiar face around the small crowd of Resistance. Rose smiled at his arrival, with a little bag of tools in her waist. She looked sooty with few black spots of engine smokes in her face. "You came back."

The pilot remained in silence, even the hallway was silent due to few surviving members and few people added to their arsenal, committing to the Resistance few days ago. BB-8 greets her with few beeps, with Rose replied with a smile and a wave of her hand. "We've heard from the encounter of the First Order. What happened?"

"Bizarre, but true." Poe shrugged and responded his mouth clinches his tongue in every words. "There were a dozen of them, plus Kylo Ren's fighter."

Rose smiled, patting his back in friendly way. BB-8 came below his legs, gently rolling to him. "I'm just glad your safe, I'm cannot to lose another friend."

"You're good Rose." He spoke gently, giving her smile.

"I live to please." Rose replied. She eyed at the little ball droid at her feet. "You too BB-8"

Poe gazed upon his comrades running and commanding everyone in sight. They were few in numbers and he knows that it will be a matter of time to be snuffed. "Poe?"

"Mhmm?" Poe hums.

"Are you okay, you happen to see something?" Rose asked, watching the same spot where Poe was watching. "I mean the General was supposed to expect you when you arrive, she asked me to escort you."

No other words escaped Poe's lips as he followed her without any hesitation. The same feeling of cold and chills welcomes him even inside the hideout which he suppose that the cold will never change anything at all. Rose's steps grew into rhythm, walking faster than he expected. "The General would be expecting you inside, she would like to report all encounter you had earlier."

Poe stared at the short hallway leading to the place where the General was staying put and giving commands. Rose smiled before heading off on her own, leaving Poe to approach Leia in person. Exhaling, he stepped forward, seeing the ice particles crushing in his boots in his every steps. Sounds of tracking devices beeps filled the room and as well as the life searching gadgets, making sure no life form around the planet.

Leia spotted amidst the workers cramming around the small room, she smiled giving Poe a warm welcome after some mission. "Good to see you alive, Commander."

"I wouldn't say the same, after the encounter." Poe replied, scratching his head, adjusting his jacket to prevent him from freezing. "But hell, you told me to fall back. Speaking of which, have you recruited some people at your arsenal?"

Leia shrugged from her stance, giving Poe a look. "Of course, some few people offering their alliance for the Resistance, but that is far from the spark we are looking for. The First Order is still a massive regime, we have to hope about this."

The pilot quietly nodded, but remained in silence as Leia continued. "We already sent some distress signals around the galaxy, hopefully they can receive it in time."

"I'm sure they do." Another voice interrupted, and it came from an older man. Lando approached the two, giving his smooth smile from his face even from his old age. Leia smiled wider, leaving Poe confused from her interactions. 'Princess, never I thought I will meet you aain in terms of another Rebellion."

"General, Lando. I am no princess." Leia snaps but her emotions is still light, reuniting with her most trusted friend and one of the rebellion's hero. "But it is good to see you again, Lando." She turns to Poe who was standing around the corner, trying to figure anything. "Poe Dameron, son of Kes Dameron. The one you fought with during the Rebellion."

Lando laughed, patting Poe's back, catching him in surprise with a grunt. Poe grew flabbergasted from Lando's actions but remained his stance from being a Commander. "How could I forget? I remember your father was one of the best pilots of the resistance, just below Luke Skywalker."

"You appreciate me." Poe replied, offering his hand for a handshake, just like every gentlemen would do. "My father was a great man, and he also said many things about you as well."

'Like what, kid?" Lando asked, with interest flowing on his voice.

"You were cunning, brave and tough bastard who once flew the Millennium Falcon towards a hole at the second Death Star, blowing it apart." Lando laughed heartily, his wrinkles showing at his smile, boy he was old. Really old. He flashed a grin at the younger man's direction. "Nothing I can agree more, Dameron. Everything he described me was right."

Now it was Leia's turn to speak for the both of them. She cleared her throat, apparently earning the attention of Lando and Poe. "I assumed why you are here Poe?"

"No, General. I have no clue what you summoned me for.' Poe replied politely towards the older general.

"Poe, I know we still lack few more Resistance members, waiting for them to approach us will be much longer than we ever expected. In a matter of time, the First Order will us again, and will wipe us out." The older woman started, while the other older man, sat on a chair with his attention straight to his friend. "I want you to assemble a team, to approach systems, convince them to raise their arms to be against First Order."

Poe shrugged after hearing those commands from General Organa herself. "I though you wouldn't risk more people's lives, during the regroup?"

"I'm talking about an army of two or you will just alone. You were right, I asked to stop wasting every resources, human death included. I can say two is more than enough." Leia smirked, and nodded.

Poe raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "You mean I have to go out there and find someone loyal to the deceased Republic, is that it?"

The older woman nodded with no hesitation. She grabbed Poe's hands and grasps along his palms, holding them smoothly. Poe's face smoldered, giving her a look. "I know this is hard, but I am getting old. If I am gone, the Resistance will look unto you and serve you as the General."

"Not yet, I am not ready for it." Poe debated himself to retaliate anything but only to go against it.

Leia shakes her head, still pressing Poe's hands softly. "You were right, you aren't ready yet." She paused gazing every workers watching the scene unfolds, some with compassion to the General. "That's why I need to send you to go out there and look for our other allies. If you can, they will be loyal to you and that would be a good time for me to step down."

"No not yet. We are here what we are fighting for. Freedom from the grasps of the First Order, you started it and you will finish it." Poe spoke with regard, in every words he needs to say. He cannot afford to lose a strong woman on his side in terms of war.

General Organa simply smiled, moving her hands and patting over his shoulders. "Yes I knew. I will start, but you will finish. I've lost so much in this war. Han, my husband. Ben, my son. Even my brother Luke. All them gone, and I am the last breathing, and soon to be with Han."

Poe's eyes began to water up, welling his eyes to the brave words the older woman spoke. Even Lando himself, slight lowered his head in much response as Leia sat down to a chair with hope connected to her eyes. She remained her eye contact to Poe, with courage and faith to do so. "What do you know of this place, Poe?"

"One of the hideouts of the Rebellion, General Organa." Poe immediately responded, eyeing every square inch of the hideouts.

Leia smiled weakly. "This is also the place where Han and I quarrel for the first time, and we aren't even married that time." Lando silently laughed in return, knowing his friend would always have done that. "That bustling nerfherder, even with him gone, he still was."

"And forever will be." Lando added, with a suppressed chuckle on his lips.

"You still sold us out when we went to Bespin." Leia teased Lando, with a hint of insult in her voice and humor on its lips. Lando's face turned red in Leia's words, but shrugged it and laughed again like there was no tomorrow.

She then turned to Poe who was waiting for her final commands from her and for the Resistance. "Go to every systems near the Hosnian system, Coruscant, Naboo or any inhabited planet. You will find allies and gain their support."

"General." Lieutenant Connix approached the trio with a certain look on her face, hint of worry and problems. "The First Order was spotted leaving for Naboo."

Lando stood in shock and Leia calmly nodded, Poe must have assumed that she already knew that this will happen. She turned to Lando with a serious tone on her voice. "I need you to go back in Cloud city, back to Bespin and you must gather your troops and everything, we cannot afford to lose Naboo."

"Cloud city will have your support and allies, Princess." Lando bowed before turning his heel and left the room, presumably the planet itself. Leia ignored the term 'princess' as she watched Lando left the room, for the better.

After being silent for a long time, Poe finally speaks. "What are we going to do?"

Leia sighed. Stroking her head, she gave herself time to think of what to do next. People around the room began to murmur to each other about their thoughts on the Naboo. "Poe, the time is now in their grasps, Naboo is a powerful ally and if we lose them, we are gone."

"What shall I do?" Poe asked.

"Hop into a ship, bring someone with you and find our allies. Our signals cannot send them through here and it's a risk we cannot take. Now go." It was more of a command than plead for the safety of the Resistance. Poe cannot do more but to follow, leaving the room.

Walking towards the icy hallway, a golden droid saw him and walked towards him. "Oh, it's you Poe Dameron, General Organa must be looking for you."

"Yes I did, I already have." Poe immediately left the droid without any words leaving the droid behind in confusion. He has no time to think, and to find another companion in this trip.

 _Where is Finn, when you need him?_

 **SW**

Chewie sat in the pilot's chair with silence and his gaze focused on the flickering lights of lightspeed view of the cockpit of the Falcon. Rey sat on the pilot chair, not giving herself some time to think of what is literally happening.

He moans, and Rey clasps her hands together. They searched for the whole Takodona area for two days and the signs of Finn were never recovered. Even R2D2's predictions were very inaccurate, but they have no choice but to leave the system. Rey sighed in worry. "I hope Finn made it alive, after the fleet attack."

Chewie growls in response, patting her head. She smiled, feeling the fur of Chewie's hair over her face. Rey couldn't help but to worry even more of her friend's fate in the planet, but she knows the Resistance must come first. "I know, I'm just worried about him."

The Wookie, nodded with an amused look on his own face. Rey laughed heartily at her sight of Chewie, hearing him growl again, made her to stand up and stretched her entire body. "I do so too, I am sure he will get out of there."

"I'm going to read some texts, keep a lookout at the Falcon." Turning her heel towards the hallway, she turned back to Chewie, before giving some words to the Wookie. "I never seen you and Han flying this ship. I missed him."

She heard him groan sadly, as she left the cockpit and starting to head on the center of the Falcon, seeing the seats with a large table on the middle. She plopped herself down, sitting on a soft cushioned seats, hoping that this won't break.

Grabbing herself to stand again, she dragged herself towards a compartment where she keeps all the Jedi texts. Luke must have known she kept it when she left the planet. She never felt guilty of it, but never occurred to Luke anyways.

Feeling her hand on the bound cover of the texts, she felt something whispers in her ear. Ignoring it, she walked back and sat down on a seat, placing the text on the table carefully and trying not to press any button to trigger the Dejarik game from the desk.

She opened the first page, it was written on some language she was thankful to understand, but her mind was longing for the teachings of the Jedi religion. Sensing some parts of the texts contain some teachings that were deep for her to understand.

Rey knew about Luke's warning, of being open to the dark side, and she is always aware of it, since Kylo Ren betrayed Ben Solo from himself. The temptation was strong, it was appealing and she cannot understand why it was difficult to resist. Eyeing a page of the text, she skimmed her focus to the book as she let her eyes scan around the book.

"Memories." Anakin smiled, appearing before her with a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Rey already suspecting him to come along and appear out of nowhere. "I was younger than you when Obi Wan forced me to read those."

"Is the ghost appearing compulsory for every Jedi in training? Because I never asked you to show up." Rey snapped with irritation on her, clearly not amused on Anakin appearing to her in times of her own peace.

The Force ghost snickered at her, observing her emotions aflame. "Impatience to every situation. I know and I've been there. You wouldn't want to know." Rey chipped from her attention and giving Anakin a mean stare from her eyes. "Okay, you got. I'll silence for a while."

"Thank you." Rey responded with sarcasm and rudeness in her voice. Anakin sighed in her change of her attitude, obviously not liking it properly. He remained standing around the Falcon, observing every part of the Falcon. "Force, I didn't realize my son in law would pass this ship to you."

Rey didn't respond from Anakin and kept her focus on the texts and regaining her viewpoint ignoring Anakin completely. She stared on some paragraphs in some language, trying to remember every teaching on the book. Anakin stared at her amused with her determination in terms of ignoring. "You knew that wouldn't work, right?"

She glared at him smiling in amusement, but she breathed out in her annoyance. In a snap, she closed the book then placed them on the desk. She turned to ghost Anakin, still has his smile on his face and it was a smug smile. "Like father, like son. Shame your grandson wasn't like you."

"I actually thanked the Force for that, now I really have a brooding grandson to deal with." Anakin replied, still his hands on his chest, crossing them altogether. Then his face turned serious, giving Rey chills at his look. "I knew you are going to Ilum, I sensed."

Rey rolled her eyes, she scoffed after. "Obviously, since your grandson broke your own lightsaber I need another for our fight, our war."

Anakin raised his eyebrows, or ghost eyebrows. "I know, you need a lightsaber, mine was pretty destroyed that I saw you playing tug of war with my grandson, never felt proud to see him that." He chuckled, with Rey muttering something under her breath, which of course Anakin senses it.

"Stop with games, Master Anakin." Rey snapped in annoyance, she rubbed her temples from dripping sweat in terms of the temperature. Anakin remained passive, she can tell it from her view. Those eyes, he had the same eyes of his grandson.

His grandson.

Those needy eyes, he must have known something that he needs to tell. Rey spared no time asking him to ensure everything. "Why are you here?"

"I am here to teach you right? You cannot escape your destiny, you will revive the Jedi order." Anakin pointed out, his face is still passive even with the smug voice in his lips. "I am here to guide you, to be strong and alert of the dark side."

"I'd rather have Luke to mentor me, now I understand why Master Skywalker despises his father so much." Rey replied, crossing her arms.

Anakin smiled sadly, remembering the last time he saw his son alive. "That was Darth Vader, not me. Anyways, I am here to tell you not to go to Ilum."

"What? I am already heading there, why are you stopping me?" Rey's surprised question shook him. Her face frowned and a bit angry, knowing she was almost there to receive and create her only weapon and Anakin blew it. 'Why are you telling me? Ilum is my only hope to create my own lightsaber, and you cannot stop me from doing it."

"Stubborn eh? I now knew why my Grandson was so invested in you." Anakin mindlessly blurted in fast paced talking. "You knew that Ilum isn't the only planet that has Kyber Crystal right?"

"No? Where's that?"

"Jedha."

"Why go there?" Rey placed her hands in her hips.

Anakin frowned in a fatherly manner, as his lips pressed together. "Because I said so."

Rey groaned, heading towards the pilot cockpit, where Chewie was sitting and waiting for her. She turned to him with a frown. "You're not my father."

"I know."

 **SW**


	10. Chapter 10

The blaster explodes, throwing few debris into their direction. Maz tugged Finn away from the impact pulling his shirt further from it. The pirate member from afar curses in anger, after not hitting his own target. Finn coughed from the dust particles scattering around the area.

Maz drew her blaster and fire few shots before one connects to one's chest, falling to the ground with a thud. Several pirates threw sticky grenades around the area, causing them to explode and damage the place. Finn crouched with his knees on the ground, trying to evade any blaster bolts, scrambling for another breathing room for a shot.

"Maz, I'm going to the left. Cover me." Finn spoke, merely a loud whisper but audible to Maz's ears. The orange alien watched him used upturned tables and other large furniture as cover. In turn, Maz drew her blaster and took few shots before being overwhelmed by other shots.

Finn used the diversion to his advantage, staying still in his position. Making sure, he wasn't spotted, he waited for Maz to fire another bolt again, fully focusing the attention towards her. Finn clipped his pocket, revealing a small hand grenade in his palm, without noticing him. "Here goes nothing."

He pressed the button, threw it few meters away from him towards five pirates ganging up and firing on Maz's direction. The grenade dropped on the floor, before somebody noticed it and screamed. Finn scrambles to his feet, rolling around from the impact point, before a large bang erupts and explodes. Maz saw the outcome, and gave Finn a thumbs up. "That was perfectly executed, child."

"I aim to please." Finn replied with a cocky smile in his face, but removed it when spotting another round of pirates with more backups. He cursed, in slow whisper, trying to figure anything to stop these people. "Maz, your cantina, they will destroy it."

"I know, I should have never made a deal with them." Maz replied shaking her head in disappointment in her previous action. "You asked for the reason, it was a long story."

Finn rolled his eyes, aiming his blaster on few pirates, taking them out in three or four shots in succession. "Enlightened me, so you can explain to drag me into this mess." He spotted another squad, three entered the area, with nonstop throwing of their bombs on the ground.

One landed near the spot where Maz and Finn were sitting, as Maz tiringly grabbed it and threw it back to the thrower, with accurate angle, hitting him direct to the body. The victim screamed as the sticky bomb sticks in his chest before exploding, taking his comrades with him. Finn covered his face from any flying particles flying towards the two.

He turned to Maz, who nodded in return. "Now is the great time, Maz."

"Okay, okay." Maz started but after firing few blaster bolts flying straight to her target right behind Finn's direction, who was about to aim Finn's back. The victim staggers and fell down to the ground without a sound. Finn exhaled in relief after the sight of it. "I always known that being a pirate never trusts anybody, well I double crossed them back at Dantooine."

Finn looked at his right, seeing few members in sight. "What's the deal?"

"Somebody placed a bounty for my head, just as usual." Maz continued, drawing her head and her blaster as she pulled the trigger of her blaster, hitting few bolts on the target, and attracting attention on some few pirates. She ducked for cover then turning to Finn. "My bounty was very large that I have to out run few for my own safety. If Han was still alive, he would help me in this mess."

"Well you're saying that your day is bad enough, I would say my day is much worse." Finn interjected seeing Maz drawing her weapon again, firing at some direction, hitting the trees instead, and even more diverting more attention. "What are you doing? You're crazy!"

Maz shrugged when she face him but then answered in which Finn can understand. 'I am trying to divide them into groups, we can take them easily."

Finn raised his arms in defense. "Look, I am not sure if this thing is great idea."

"I've fended few gangs in this planet myself, I know what I am doing." Maz replied with her voice is almost as loud as she could get. Finn only reserves to nodding to response. "I always use the same trick over and over again." She pointed towards the Cantina entrance, gesturing him to go. "Look, I wouldn't even dreamed of you being drag in all of this. Go find a ship to escape."

The Stormtrooper stared widely, at her. A blaster bolt hits their cover, cracking it completely. Maz in return fired back giving Finn few moments to run away and hide inside the Cantina. Instead of running, he stayed behind, and began aiming on few pirates, hitting them right in between of the eyes.

"Whoo!"He cheered in delight towards success in his shooting and aiming his own blaster. He is sure that staying behind with Maz protecting and helping her is better than leaving Maz alone. Maz in return looks uncertain with his decision to stay, but ignored to question the Stormtrooper's loyalty.

A certain bomb flew in the ground, right in the middle of Maz and Finn. Finn saw it immediately and drove his hands to grab it. "Stop!" Maz screamed with few seconds before they could run. "It will stick in your arm."

Too late from the indecisive decision Finn has done all of his life. No more time to regret those thoughts nor those blame, his hand felt the metal surface, sticking to his skin as the bomb ticks, just like his own life ticks.

Ticks. It became slower, slower and even more grudging his fear waiting for the eruption of flames, totally ending it all. The bomb was still ticking as he uses all of his might to remove his fingers away. Seconds and more passed and it was even more intense between the battles of his fate, seeing the large wave of fire devouring his right hand.

His instincts clicks his brain, as he barely escaped the meltdown and the flash of light. Finn jumped out of the way but not before the bomb explodes hitting him from the range. He gasped his arm, in pain and felt the burning sensation inside.

Finn fell to the ground face first, dust and dirt scrambles through the air, waving towards the atmosphere of the siege. He grits his teeth altogether in pain, trying at least to lessen it. His left hand travels from his elbow to the painful area, and felt somethings wrong.

Touching the burning part, he hissed in pain. "I'm hurt!"

Maz ran to his aid, watching him clutching his right hand. To her surprise, his hand was cleanly detached from his arm, leaving him without any right hand.

He lost his right hand.

Blood dripping to the ground, with him trying to stop it. From the view of it, it literally resulted from the explosion not long ago. His hand must been turned into smithereens from grudging boom. Maz couldn't help but feel terrified for the younger man also, she immediately grabbed his blaster away from him.

He looks at his now handless right arm, he stared at it like it was something like a ghost but it was much more terrifying. "Can you stand and walk, Finn I can patch up your hand."

Finn didn't say a word but nodded, the pain took his words away. He cannot think straight or walk straight. The only thing in his mind was the never ending pain in his arm, his hand was cleanly blasted. He was speechless from what is really happening, he was losing blood. "Maz?"

Everything began to turn black from blood loss in Finn's sake. With his last conscious self, he removed Poe's jacket from him, pressed it tightly into his decapitated hand, trying to stop the blood loss from ended up with him tumbling down to the ground.

The orange alien sighed, watching him struggling to walk. "I am half your size, please stay with me." She spoke with concern to the half unconscious man, who is trying to keep himself to intact on what was happening.

Another round of bomb raid emerges, hitting everyone on range and nearly damaging the further. Maz snarled as she fired multiple shots, with such deadeye towards her target. The Stormtrooper basically crouching and using everything around him to make sure he wouldn't be dead. _Rey needs me badly._ Those words strikes him like a boost, and encouragement.

Each step on the ground brought massive and terrible jolt of pain not only his hand but mentally as well. _Lesson learned Finn. Never touch bombs again, leave that to Poe._ He spoke to himself mockingly, trying to forget the danger he was in. "Bad day they say."

Maz glared at him. "Stop talking, it will matter worse."

Blood won't stop flowing and it overflows Poe's jacket from his hand. Finn is breathing slowly, inhaling and exhaling every air that came in his lungs. The pain won't stop from inducing and remains in his brain. The pain was unbearable in his arm, in every step he felt numb and unaware around him.

A blaster flew, nearly missed him and Finn's body is screaming to give up from blood loss and in excruciating pain in all, he stumbled down in the ground, knees first. Grunting from the pain inflicted in his own body, sweat tramples his chin and forehead. He felt he was losing too much blood in his own self, his body wanting to give up.

With his left hand, he crawled, elbow on the face of the ground. Maz calls his name while he tries to keep his conscious together, he watched Maz rushing to him to her aid, pressing her hand to her forehead. "You look pale, come one we have to go."

"I-I can't. I can't st-stand." Finn replied with tremble in weakness of his pain and infliction. Shouts of mercenaries began to march towards their direction with Maz began to make her own last stand. "Maz, le-leave me here. Tell Rey that I will miss her."

Maz gave him a determined look straight to his eyes, before lowering his head, watching Poe's jacket oozes with blood in his hands. "Too bad I cannot return this to him anymore." He sounded so defeated, so hopeless, no more hope to live for. 'He would be pissed in these blood."

After all he was a Stormtrooper, he deserve to die first being head shot at or executed by his officials. But there were faces appeared in his eyes, sparking his own interest.

His friends.

He would miss Rey's smile and her determination. His first trusted friend in the midst of accepting him who he was or what he had done in the past. She was special to him, he saved her and she saved him in the end. That made them equal as friends.

Then there goes Poe, that smug looking bastard with high confidence in his own tricks. He saved him from peril and being his friend was very far enough for the Stormtrooper to consider. He was strong willed, witty and has ability to lead, next to the General.

Rose, she kissed him back on Crait. She loves him like she would try something and rammed him over to save his life from his own sacrifice. She loves him to the end, and Finn should have confessed his love for her. She changed him what he was and who he was, at Canto Bight and at Crait. Which saddens him he will never see her again.

His eyes grew heavy and heavy, he forced himself to open them, clutching at Poe's jacket with his hands. He remembered the Trooper pledge when he was young and in training for the First Order, it was cruel at first but promising at last. He was a Stormtrooper and he will die one.

Gritting his teeth, with all might in his feet, ignoring the weakness and unconsciousness inside his head. "I am a Stormtrooper." He pushed himself off the ground, stepping in his left foot then his right foot. He crouched but he remained balance with determination all across his face. "I served this oath that I shall rendered unconditional obedience to the First Order."

He knew he no longer served the First Order, but his memory fails him to do so. He took another step forward, and never noticed Maz hiding in one spot before she fired multiple blasts again. "A trooper never surrenders, never gives up. He always carries the situation, no matter the consequences."

Stepping forward, ignoring everything hinders him back. _This is for Rey, for Poe, for Rose and for the Resistance. I need to be alive for their sake._ "A trooper never cowers himself in times of battle and in war." He felt those words never described him as trooper at all, he knew he defects from the First Order to escape the cruelty. He took another step as he recited more of the trooper pledge. "A Stormtrooper never follows other master except the Supreme Leader himself." He stopped, and remembered that he no longer serves the Supreme Leader, since he was known dead.

"Until the end, the Trooper dies for a cause. T-to bring order and r-reformation to the galaxy." He shakily recited, his strength is now giving up. His hand felt numb from blood loss, his eyes heavy and he knew he cannot bring himself further. "A trooper will honor their leaders even to their last breath." He ponder about General Organa, who is his leader now. "And a trooper will fight until the end, whether in victory or in defeat."

This is all it. He wasn't sure of his own safety. He felt his joints and bones giving up. He forced to open his eyes, not to go unconscious or die. His body screaming for rest and to recover, but he couldn't and Maz cannot carry him all along. He was ready, ready to feel the smoothness of his resting place, or his dying place.

He was falling, few inches to the ground. Maz saw him and cries his name, in shock and in sadness. Finn was expecting the ground to touch his nose and his mouth.

Instead, a hand captures both.

The orange alien stopped in her tracks and was speechless that she almost dropped her blaster from her grasps. She never expected anything but this, she wanted to be angry, scared or both at the same time. Finn closed his eyes completely but still wonders who manage to grab him in trouble.

Hesitantly, she tries to aim the blaster at her. She knew that face was familiar, resemblance to her once deceased and gone friend and smuggler, Han Solo. The confusion of the face of Solo's son was visible and by the look at his eyes, Maz lowered her blaster away from him. She saw that eyes before and those were not unusual for his sake.

Speechless as her throat went dry from what is going on, she gestured him the entrance of the Cantina. The son of Han gave her another round of confused and scared look his face, Maz must have knew something if looks deeper into his own soul. "What happened to him?" He manages to speak.

"Bring him to the cantina, son of Solo."

"Understood- wait you knew my father?" The younger man asked with Finn in his arms, now both on their feet. Maz fired another blaster, with few stray blasters near hitting them both. The two of them ducked underneath, but Maz insisted to place him the cantina. The other younger man still has questions in his mind. "I always wanted to know him further, I never known him in this life."

Maz gestured him to continue his own path for Finn's sake. "Look, he is losing blood. Bring him there or he will die." The son of Solo nodded as he placed the Stormtrooper in his left shoulder with struggles and grunts. The orange alien noticed the large wound carved in his head and was still nasty looking from her point of view. "Just bring him there, the droids will help him to recover his hand, somehow he lost it."

"Ouch, okay thanks Orange lady."

"Maz Kanata, you didn't remembered my name? Your father knew me."

"How should I?" The son of Solo replied, shaking his head in negative before ducking from incoming blaster bolts incoming from both pirates. Maz snarls as she drew her weapon and immediately fired at her enemies, giving the son of Solo to ran towards the place which the orange alien, who claims she knew his father, pointed to.

Carrying Finn in his back, he found himself in front of the two blast doors hidden beneath the ground. With such cluelessness around his head and heaviness of Finn's weight around his back, he manages to look around for open mechanisms or anything. Stepping forward, the blast doors opened revealing a ladder inside the doors. "Okay, now that did work as it supposed to work, isn't it." He spoke to himself, hoping Finn might hear him out of unconsciousness.

He took a step downwards, carefully maintaining his own balance in the dark stairs, that may lead to somewhere or anywhere that orange alien instructed her to. His head damped with seat, after hearing another bang of explosion from the ground. His heart beating grew faster and faster, before taking another step in the stairs.

Finn was still breathing heavily but slowly, he remembered that it was him who saved him from being drowned alive and even accused him something he cannot remember of. Chatters and laughter is heard upon stepping on the last step of the ladder.

The son of Solo pushed his way to the door, and was welcomed by a bustling crowd around the place who had no idea or care what is happening thirty feet above the ground, and they were enjoying drinks and having fun. The inhabitants around the cantina stared at him, making him to stare at them confusedly and cluelessness in his own mind and eyes.

The cantina grew silent watching him placing Finn's unconscious body on one table and demanded to call any medical droid on the cantina. Some inhabitants murmured in his presence, clearly knowing the existence of Kylo Ren and his clear face after the attack on Crait.

As he is here, with them at this very place. They expected some Stormtroopers will enter and will terminate each one of them. The younger man, removed the jacket wrapped around Finn's hand and wasn't expected to see something.

Finn's arm is gone. He gagged and looked away, even the creatures around the cantina made a gagging sounds and it attracted the attention of a medical droid who flew around to his direction to begin to work on its magic.

Matt sighed, grabbing Poe's bloodied jacket away from Finn and cleanly folded it without knowledge and idea how to fold it properly in his case. Some watchers saw him folding incorrectly, and began laughing and some other mocking him intently that he could barely hear.

"Some leader of the First Order, he cannot fold a cloth!"

He turned around, looking for something he cannot find. He cannot do anything in this place but to step back and let the droid do its work. "What is this place? I seem to remember that orange woman's face in my dream." He muttered, earning a groan from his own mouth because of the uneasiness of he felt.

After nearly losing his mind in the middle of the forest after Finn left him. The explosions that bombed the area nerved him to the bone. It was something very unpleasant that trigger the pain at the back of his head. Every dose of eruption was something he felt before.

"Who are you, fella?" An alien with an accent approached him, tapping his shoulders instantly grabbing his attention from staring.

"Matt.." he replied, after learning that from Finn after he lied to him from not knowing his name. But unaware that Finn knew his true name, Ben Solo, but he couldn't find it in his head and mind. "Just Matt."

Another alien stepped right in, with sour expression across his face and lips. He grabbed him by his collar. Matt coughs then struggles from the alien's grip in his collar as he tried to break from the monster grip. "I recognize you. You were the masked man who came and invaded us months ago."

Masked man? Invasion? "I'm sorry sir, what are talking about?" He asked with fear, after knowing those two things from him. He was wearing mask that time or maybe this guy mistaken him from knowing him, he hoped to be mistaken.

The alien growled in return. "You lie, you have same body build, same height, same wingspan and face totally covered by the mask. You are the one who killed families."

"No I am not! What are you talking about?"

"You LIE! YOU DARE QUESTION MY MEMORY AND INTELLIGENCE!" the alien gripped harder and was ready to punch him in the face. Matt closed his eyes, waiting for the impact to connect from his face and the alien's fists. "YOU DESTROYED EVERYTHING!"

"I swear! I KNOW NOTHING!" HE screams as the alien grins in and stared at his outfit and clothes. He turned to his companion and whispered something in the ear, they gasped as they nodded and began to circle around him.

One thing for certain is that Matt knew about what will happen next: danger for his own sake. He felt his back collar being grabbed, and was retrained in the wall, defenseless and without anyting or strength t fight back. The only way get away is to talk his out, but he knew it won't work.

"Wait, I don't know what you are talking abou-" A punch hit his face, knocking him off completely. One thing for certain, he felt his feet being dragged on the ground by two large hands both holding at his feet. Matt knew he was mistaken, he has no mask, no anything that can resembles him killing anyone or anything.

His vision grew dark and his back kissed the floor and felt the movement. Even unconscious, the blood on his nose flowed and leaving him to recover on his own.


	11. Chapter 11

Ghostly figures drawn the attention altogether. The shadows of the dark side fills the entire council area, watching them marching in sync and in numbers, stepping their boots on the Naboo marble floors. General Hux watched them with authority in his all might and strength, felling the responsibility and power that his arch rival never promised in times.

People of Naboo all lined up in the sidelines, in awe of the arrival of the highest ranking official in the galaxy, since the Republic is dead and gone to ashes and particles. Stormtroopers marching together in beat behind him, and as well as his co officers, all dressed in black and with dependent leadership towards their leader, Hux marched to the Naboo council.

Gurads around the entrance of the council, stands in attention, looking at them strangers as their foe or friend. Marking them in their defensive stance and posture. Hux halted the marching forces in his back, and by his command they all halted, watching Hux pursued his lips and waiting for him to speak.

Crowd of people around them remained in silence and some are whispering words to other people, regarding every dirt the First Order has done towards the galaxy alone, and Hux has no intention in giving those interests to his personal vendettas. "People of Naboo, I am the Supreme Leader of the First Order after the ashes and failures of the two previous Leaders. By power, I have captured power, having the opportunity to seize it."

One of the Royal guards stood in front of him, his voice very deep and strong as it dawns on every living creature. "The King of Naboo has no intention of giving your Military forces some interests after what you did to the Republic."

Hux didn't flinched in every word the Royal guard spoke, instead he stood straight and looked at him like he was three fet taller than the Royal guard. With his stare like a blood gazing hawk, he pierced them in his gaze making the guard to step back. "With due respect, we wanted the full attention of the King of Naboo and hearing me out will ensure the Naboo's future."

The guard stopped in his tracks, turning away from him and summoned a certain servant standing in the entrance of Naboo council. The servant nodded, halting everyone before he ran straight to the entrance. Hux watched him go, patiently waiting for the response, knowing the First Order will gain the upper hand after all of this trials and troubles.

He received certain glares from the people around him, looking like they could have murder him if without the restraints of the Stormtroopers in his arsenal. Hux smiled at the desperation of these people of finding peace that he knew that cannot be achieved through democracy after the Empire fell into the Rebellion's hands.

Seconds turned into minutes, his patience is slowly oozing out of his, the heat of the Naboo weather starting to wear him off, trying to remained focus of all his composure. Ignoring the beads of sweat in his forehead dripping throughout his neck and face, Hux finally relieved to see the servant returing, earning a whisper into the ears of the Royal guard, who sighed after hearing the King's orders. "The King of Naboo has accepted your audience, as long as your troops will be outside, surrendering their weapons to the royal guards, he also spoke to ensure your safety from the Naboo residence."

The crowd jeered loudly in response of hearing their King's accept of audience to the First Order. Hux remained his passive face, ignoring the glares and insults of every Naboo residence in their own language. He turned to his advisors and officers with a clear command coming from his own lips. "Return back to the Supremacy, and I will give orders to others to our plan."

"Yes, Supreme Leader." His advisors bowed in response, turning their heels and as well as dozen of Stormtroopers. The Supreme Leader didn't even looked back and watched them go and marched but the sounds of boots and marching in the ground is still audible, even in greater distances.

Facing his eyes on the entrance, the Royal Guards gestured him to follow. Few guard went behind him, somewhat insulting him as a prisoner rather than a guest. "This is insult for the greater good of the Supreme Leader."

The guard sneered back at him. "You are here at Naboo and you will follow the Naboo rules."

Hux glared at him, with a hawk like stare. He swiftly combing his hair using his right hand, feeling the sensation of the hair in his side burns and his head. Such pride and courage he sought and found, stepping on the Naboo council's steps.

The council palace was much more different than Hux was expecting. He knew that it was the birthplace of their queen and hero of the Clone Wars, Padme Amidala but they rarely recognize her. Poor and foolish choice for them. The grandeur of the Naboo planet awakens through his own soul, like they've been all staring at him.

Stepping closely towards the Royal Guards and following them on the long hallway entrance, with each side were charmed by the bliss of richness and wealth to Naboo. Hux knew he chose the right place, to settle his first conquest or alliance.

A certain man, dressed in robes of red and white, approached them with a welcoming smile glued across his face, watching Hux walking towards him, closer. "Welcome to Naboo Council." He extended his hand, showing a golden ring attached to his ring finger. "I am the King of Naboo, they call me Sorbo."

Hux simply nodded in response, clearly having no idea what to do next. The guard next to him leaned in and whispered quickly. "You must kiss his ring and bow to him, for respect sir."

The new Supreme Leader shook his head but didn't even moved to kiss the ring or even bow to his feet. Instead he took his hand and shook it. "As behalf of the First Order and I, the Supreme Leader, I thank you for your deepest regards and welcome."

Sorbo hesitantly accepted his hand, but shook it in warm welcome. "You honor me much, Supreme Leader of the First Order. What brings you here in Naboo? You haven't been here long to see the beauty of this planet?"

"I am here to talk to you, dear King." Hux replied, with utter respect. _Good terms, Hux. When did you learn to respect like your friends and workers don't respect you._ He straightened his black uniform in his shoulders, looking at him straight in the eyes. "To talk terms of having the First Order bringing their base here at Naboo."

"An alliance then eh?" Sorbo asked, mocking Hux a little. Hux doesn't seemed to be offended by the King, instead he forced a smile in the corner of his lips, trying to gain the favor.

"No, my dear King." Hux replied, his smile gradually disappears from his face, turs into a passive emotions. "We are in verge of war with the Rebel scums, slowly and strongly they can take our forces one by one. I am just asking to make Naboo as one of our operative bases."

The King of Naboo snickered at his request, slapping Hux in his shoulder playfully like someone he can call a friend. "Look Supreme Leader of the First Order, I am trying my best to protect this planet and this city from any war and chaos. It's been years since our late Queen Padme, took part with the Clone Wars for the safety of Naboo. I am afraid, I cannot ruin the peace in this planet."

"I will guarantee you 100 percent protection from the war, my dear King. You would never hear any attacks from the Resistance ever again, if you had us on our side. With your help we can wipe them out, and will give you favor over the galaxy when the time the First Order rules it." Hux spoke professionally, trying his all might to convince the King for the planet itself.

King Sorbo nodded and smiled back in his generous offer. "That's a tempting offer and probably a good and beneficial one, signifying the favor of the Naboo people, but if you join me to dine to this palace, I can think of it properly. For now, feel free to be our guest."

Hux disappointingly shook his head. "I'm sorry my dear king, like I said we are on the verge of war, time running low the Resistance will find even larger allies, it would be a threat to this galaxy and to your planet as well."

Sorbo listened intently, nodding in return quietly. Hux frustration in his situation is clearly likable for any leader in his shoes. He drew his hand across his beard, turning away from the Supreme Leader, looking out to his palace and all of the people in it. "You were right, they will be a threat to our planet and our galaxy."

"Yes that is why, we need your planet to be one with the First Order, and I will ensure protection for planet alone." Hux patiently and persuasively replied, he knew that he is one step closer to his own goal. "Naboo will be our strongest ally and will help us bring order on the Galaxy."

"You are right, I agree." King Sorbo replied. "That is why I wouldn't grant your request of uniting our planet to the First Order."

"What?" Hux deadpanned, with such surprise and shock clear in his voice and his throat. "You are mistaken for this, once were done we will leave your planet."

Sorbo frowned in Hux's words and scratched his chin for few seconds. "Haven't you heard every word that I said earlier, Supreme Leader?" He asked, his eyes on the entrance of the palace. "I don't want Naboo to be part of the war again, we have maintained peace for years and we are still going to."

"You are saying you don't trust us?" Hux seemingly pissed off from the denial of the King in his request of the planet of Naboo. He took a step back from the king, giving him a glare straight in the eyes, clearly underestimating the power of the First Order.

To his surprise, the King of Naboo turned around angrily, giving Hux fear in his spine but doesn't even contend to his own feelings. "I know you are planning to, I have heard the destruction of the Hosnian system by the hands of the First Order, and I support the Resistance, no matter the cost."

Hux's emotion turned sour and red. He flexed his wrist silently and hearing the King slowly berating the First Order to pieces by his own words. King Sorbo noticed his silence in anger and frustration in his eyes. "You were just some bunch of power hungry maniacs, who did nothing but conquer planets, is that it?"

"Then you are foolish, so kind for a King to be foolish never seeing the opportunity of your planet, in the end you will be the one they'll blame." Hux sneered back, controlling his anger amidst of it all. "Well then, if you don't trust us, I guess I'll be heading for plan B then?"

"What are you going to do? Invade Coruscant then? Eh?" Sorbo sneered back at him, watching Hux turning his back, not even watching the King sneering at his back.

Hux in return took a sideways glance, then smiled. "No I am not leaving. Let's just say we will take our negotiation to the next level shall we?" He turned at him, revealing him smiling at his fullest. Sorbo's expression turned serious, noting that this Supreme Leader is consistent than ever.

"I told you, I would not allow your men or that Order of yours to take place here in my city or in the entire planet. Note that, and now please leave before my guards will arrest you." Hux hums in return, mocking him slowly but savagely.

"No I am not leaving, whether you like it or not, I will stay here." Hux sneered back, watching the King's expression grew sour and shock. Without hesitation, Hux continued his mockery. "As a matter of fact, I might have few arrangements for you."

The king snarled in return, balling his fist his lips shaking in rage and in disrespect. "I suggest you leave here before I punish you. You disrespected me and even mocked me, I hereby to announce that we should not acquire your services."

The Supreme Leader of the First Order silently nodded, began his way to the exit with some guards holding his shoulder. "Well then."

Right on cue, an eruption of flames and palace wall particles blew loudly. Desecrating the wall completely, a large hole welcomes the smoke from the after match of the bomb used, came Stormtroopers more than hundreds of them came marching, and began firing.

Some hits on some Royal guards, dropping their weapons and to the floor, dead. King Sorbo already realized that the First Order already surrounded the palace, and they have caused wreckage already in terms of the kingdom. With disbelief, he watched some Stormtroopers grab his arm, pulling him towards their Supreme Leader, hitting his groin.

He sputtered, in agony, finding his knees kneeling before him, with such cruelty and power. A smile broke his face, slapping the victimized King in the face. He couldn't help but only to watch the Supreme Leader turn to his troopers and giving commands. "I want every square inch of this palace cleared and plundered. If anyone who tries to fight them, kill them all."

"Understood Supreme Leader." A certain trooper replied, walking towards their designated area of chaos and destruction. Few Royal guards of the King of Naboo were found in the floor, lying lifelessly from the attacks of certain Stormtroopers out of surprise.

"You traitorous bastard!" The king spat out, words cold as an ice and deadly as a venom. Hux passively heed those words, punching the King in the face, drawing blood in his lips, shutting the King up.

"Supreme Leader!" A Stormtrooper called, with his hands revealing a squirming being and struggling to get out of the trooper's grasps. A certain girl with no less older than 14, struggling to be released but forced to watch herself being dragged to the ground. "We saw this wench fending off few of your men, we captured her." Without a sound, they placed the girl to the floor, without a sound and to her knees. Tears already formed in her eyes.

Hux sneered and stepped forwards, observing everything the girl has. She has slight tanned skin in her body with long blonde hair and tied up in Naboo braid that reaches to her shoulders. No doubt, she was a royalty, due to the crown in her head. "Well, well, well. Isn't it the Princess of Naboo."

"Let go of me!" The girl threatened, trying to get to her feet, but was restrained by the Stormtrooper who was on guard on her every actions. Hux made no emotion, staring the girl down to her soul, stepping to her closer and closer until he was few inches before her.

Hux grabbed her cheeks altogether, in such force, watching the Princess breathing heavily in his fingers, seeing the fear in her eyes. The King pushed a trooper away, only to be stopped by another, hitting him in the abdomen. "Leave my daughter alone! She has nothing to do with this!"

"As you wish." Hux replied in a sneer, pushing the Princess downwards in aggression, scrambling the young lady to the floor marble of the palace of Naboo. The girl coughed, with her cheek planted in the floor. "I guess this is the real bargain now, isn't it?"

"Please leave her out of it!" The king pleaded, forcefully watching her daughter mistreated by some dogs of war in his own planet. "Take my planet and my kingdom, not my daughter!"

The Supreme leader turned to him, sneering at him. "A little too late for that. Keeping you alive will somewhat endanger the status of the First Order, knowing you had encounter the Resistance before. Taking full control of Naboo is what the First Order need to do."

He turned back to the struggling and fear gripped girl from the Stormtroopers, he watch her leveling her eyes towards him. "Shall we started the initiation, of oath that Naboo now belongs the First Order? With letting you watch in pleasure, the execution of the King."

"NO!" the girl screamed, watching the Stormtroopers, hitting the king in the abdomen, with his face flat on the marble floor. The blasters now aimed at his back and his head taking the readiness and the cue from their Supreme Leader. The girl's eyes were filled with grief and tears, as she scrambles to her feet, with a strong hand pulling her back.

There's nothing she can do.

Hux looking how the scene unfolds, walked away towards the exit, with pile of dead Royal guards on his feet. "Execute him."

Without a word, a blaster bolt flew from the blaster itself, heading straight to the King's head. She closed her eyes, doing all of her might not to watch her father being blown away into shreds by the blaster. The young girl forced herself not burst in tears neither to succumb to her rage.

Now lies her father, lifeless and dead, with the man in black stomping his foot in the head with a sickening crunch in the skull. The girl turned her head away from the scene, not having stomach for the gore and violence.

"Now, the King of Naboo is dead, surrender your arms to us if you don't want to end up like him."

"You're a monster." She breathes, strands of her hair covering her face, still her hands on the grasps of both Stormtroopers on her back. Hux sneered and reduced his distance from the girl and himself. "Is this what you want? Naboo?"

"No." Hux sneered and his voice soft but threatening for a small woman like her. He grabbed both of her cheeks, looking at her pitifully but without emotions. "I would have thousands of options to use you for the First Order."

The girl sneered back, her looks threatening and she would do everything in her power to strike the man who straight up murders her father. "I would rather die."

"Well then." The Supreme Leader nodded, head turning ahead of his comrades. "Take her to the Supremacy. I may use her for the Resistance and wiping them out even more. If she resist, kill her."

Without any words nor hesitation amongst the lower troops who had nothing but to obey, forcefully grabbed her by her shoulder. The girl growled back with urgency and desire burning inside her of revenge for Naboo. "You will never see the end of this day! I will run my city red with your blood as time will come, that is my promise!"

Hux shrugged her curses and words, ignoring the fact that thousands fell and millions will rise against him. With Naboo on his palm, the First Order will constantly and consistently bring forth chaos and destruction through the galaxy. _How this makes you envious father? I did something far greater than you could ever dreamed of, spite of your cowardly acts._

"Sir. You are ready to inform the Naboo residents."

He forced a smile, nodding slowly towards an officer. "Put me through hologram. Therefore Naboo serves no one but me."

 **JEDHA**

"We're here."

Rey scrunches her nose from her sleep, hesitation acts upon her lips from her deep slumber. She opened her eyes slowly and suppressed a frown in her eyebrows, realizing that Anakin will never shut up. The Falcon shakes slowly but already disturbing for her to sit up from her bed neither to stand up immediately.

The force ghost looks unaffected by the uncontrollably shaking of the Correllian freighter, rather crossed his arms, eyes fixating for the young Jedi. "Ready yourself, young Jedi. The Wookie already circumnavigated the planet three times."

Rey sighed under her breath, clearly not surprised at all. "Didn't Chewie came here to wake me?'

Anakin smiled, so much for Rey's annoyance. "No."

"Great." She scratches her head, across her scalp and touching her hair. "Anakin? Maybe next time stop watching me sleep or rest. It ticks me out. Does force ghosts go to sleep or get tired at all to leave me here?"

To her surprise, Anakin simply shook his head and no words left his mouth. Instead, he opened the cabin door, and went outside. Rey's stomach is churning from the emotions or the aura of Anakin Skywalker in this freighter today. "Hey, I was just joking."

She went outside, clearly looked worried that she might upset the dead Jedi or Luke's father or whatever he was. He disappeared fast, but the feeling of someone chilled her spine and almost paralyzed her.

The freighter shaking was still present, as she uses her hands to hold the wall to maintain her balance and consciousness from the shaking ship. In her mind, she always imagined of what Jedha could have looked like, especially the stories.

Chewie remains of the cockpit and on the pilot seat, watching the darkness in front of him. Rey supposed that they were on the uppermost part of the planet, but never asked why they never landed. "Chewie, try to land on the surface."

Chewie growled in reply, causing Rey ask back in confusion. "What do you mean that we cannot land in the planet's surface?"

Piloting the Falcon, the Wookie continues his way downwards completely revealing the whole planet. Rey couldn't believe her eyes nor his mind rather the Force. Stories from her past childhood always depicted that Jedha was once a civilized planet or inhabited by few organisms.

She heard of the stories of the brave Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor, during their mission inside the planet of Jedha. Luke once told her in his encounter of the Empire of the ruins of Jedha and Han was forced to do the horrible leadership. But she never expected the planet was already blown to half or to pieces.

No wonder Anakin looks upset even in his ghost form. "What happened here?"

"The Empire's deed." Anakin, from behind, appeared. She turned to him and noticed that the Wookie didn't noticed him even the closest. "This was destroyed by the Death Star to stop the Rebellion from retrieving the Death Star plans."

"Stories of Jyn Erso and her comrades, I've heard of it. Countless of times." Rey replied, reminiscing of her past childhood days back in Jakku. "They were here, but I don't know what the reason is."

Anakin smiled sadly, his eyes clearly looking the damage of the planet from the Empire. One of the planets that haunts him even as Darth Vader. "You wouldn't believe that Jyn Erso's father was the builder of the Death Star, the one that destroyed countless of people and planets, including Alderaan. My daughter's home planet."

Rey gritted her teeth, hearing multiple death and loss of lives nauseates her. "But what about Darth Vader? Didn't he dictated everything for the Empire?"

"The Emperor did." Anakin replied, his eyes scanning the floor. Chewie looked at her with confusion, clearly asking who she was talking to. But Rey's attention went to Anakin, as Chewie glanced where Rey was looking but found none. The force ghost clenches his fists inside his Jedi robes. "I was just a slave for the Emperor, all he asks is all that I will follow. He is the one who manipulated me to the dark side, because of love. I was foolish to believe that love can save me from the dark side."

"You are wrong, love is what gives hope. Hope to bring the spark of determination and strength." Rey heard Chewie moaned in his own language but ignored the confused Wookie at her side. "Didn't you remember that it was your son's love that turned you?"

Anakin shook his head, pressed his lips tightly and felt the regret in his eyes, even for a ghost. "I know, but you didn't know about the fear of losing of someone you love. My love for Padme left openings, for the Emperor to attack me for I was weak."

In turn, Anakin snickered and let out a suppressed laugh, even his eyes glued on the cockpit of the Falcon. "Haven't you heard of the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the wise?" He turned to Rey, clearly remembering every words from the Chancellor.

Rey shrugged, and Anakin smiled. "My friend, or my former friend once told me about the wisest Sith in the galaxy. He has the power greater than the Jedi or anyone with the Force, escaping death. He could save his friends, his family, and his love ones."

"What happened?"

The Force ghost simply shrugged. "He could save anyone, but not himself." Rey remained silent, hearing the words of Anakin. "Jedi before were forbidden to compromise themselves through love, because they thought love will cause your fall to the dark side. In the end, I saved everyone I loved, except myself."

Rey couldn't help but to feel sad and guilty over Anakin, she thought herself of stepping into Anakin's shoes, being manipulated by the dark side, being the monster that everyone hates and loathes. Being the monster who blindly followed out of love and being fooled. She never found that monster inside Anakin Skywalker, but it was the guilt and shame of the man who regretted everything he had done.

This feeling of change reminds her of someone, or of something. All of this regret or change of view happened before but Rey didn't want to relive if over again. _A hand, she was offering her hand for his hand seeing the visions of each other. The face, she always hated or cared for but the souls of a man ruined._ "Ben."

"My grandson was just a fragment of evil compared to everything I had done, I am far worse evil than you think, and I am still surprised that you accepted me." Anakin openly admitted.

"He killed his own father." Rey interjected, trying to add her own arguments.

"That was Kylo Ren, not Ben Solo. That grandson of mine was lost and confused, just like me. But I sensed and feared, he was no more." Anakin sadly spoke, with his voice of grief and shame. "He is no more, it is too late for his mother or anyone else to save him. But you can."

Rey stared at him wide eyed. "He is dead? Killed?" She saw Anakin only succumbs to nodding, as Rey sat down to the floor in disbelief or in regret. "How? How can I save him if he is dead?"

"Search your feeling, Rey. It can guide you the truth." Anakin reminded her.

"Well that's the worst part isn't it? Search the truth inside and wait for the truth to reveal. This is the major advantage over the Resistance, hearing that Kylo Ren is no more. He had potential but he blew it, now he is gone." Rey replied, smugly watching Chewie in the cockpit, doing his best to ignore her talking to the unknown.

"Really, so does your friend Rey." Anakin replied.

Rey turned to him, but the presence of Anakin Skywalker left her, leaving her with Chewie and her own. Wiping her head, she stood up and watched Chewbacca carries the freighter to check some landing spots. _I should have brought R2-D2 or BB-8_. "Chewie can you find some landing spots?"

The Wookie nodded, in affirmative and in positive answer, making Rey to spot any position and locations of Kyber crystals. "Can we land here safely?"

The Wookie nodded.

 **Sorry for the long wait guys, I've just recently returned from my vacations. Sorry for any grammar issues or spelling errors, English is not my main language but I am trying my best to be better. Reviews are welcome or any criticisms are also welcome.**


	12. Notice

**Guys I have to apologize because this is not a new chapter or a new update for this story. After writing the latest chapter I realized how messy my story narration was and it needs huge and massive rewrite from the beginning. I may delete this in the future but I really have to start from the bottom to the top. Not only that but also plot holes and stuffs that I can't help but to notice them. I really appreciated your patience.**


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